Blood, plasma and organ donation: how to become a donor

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Few things you can do in an hour are as directly useful as giving blood. Donated blood supports people having surgery, cancer treatment, childbirth complications and long-term conditions, and plasma is turned into medicines. Registering an organ donation decision costs nothing at all. Here is how each works, with UK details and general pointers for other countries.

Giving blood in the UK

Each part of the UK runs its own service: NHS Blood and Transplant in England, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, the Welsh Blood Service and the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service. Rules are broadly similar, but check the service where you live. In England, NHS Blood and Transplant's general guidance is:

Age: first-time donors can be 17 to 65. Existing donors can carry on to older ages if they keep giving regularly.
Weight: between 50kg and 158kg.
Health: you should be fit and well. Some medicines, recent tattoos or piercings, travel to certain countries and some medical conditions mean a wait or that you cannot donate; the service's eligibility checker will tell you.
How often: men can give whole blood every 12 weeks and women every 16 weeks.

Extra checks apply to some young female donors, so do not be surprised if you are measured on your first visit.

What happens on the day

Book an appointment online, by app or by phone. Walk-in space is limited, so booking matters.
Eat a proper meal and drink plenty of water beforehand.
Answer a health questionnaire and have a quick finger-prick test to check your iron levels.
The donation itself takes around 5 to 10 minutes, though the whole visit takes about an hour.
Rest afterwards with a drink and snack, and avoid heavy exercise for the rest of the day.

If you feel faint, tell staff at once. It is common, they are used to it, and it does not mean you can never give again.

Donating plasma

Plasma is the liquid part of blood. In England, plasma donated at dedicated centres is used to make medicines such as immunoglobulin, which treat people with immune deficiencies and other conditions. A machine separates the plasma and returns your red cells to you, so you can donate much more often than with whole blood, often as frequently as every two weeks. The process takes longer than a blood donation, roughly an hour. Plasma centres are in a limited number of towns and cities, so check whether one is within reach.

Organ and tissue donation

All four UK nations now have an opt-out system for deceased donation, sometimes called deemed consent or deemed authorisation. Most adults are considered willing to donate unless they have recorded a decision not to or are in an excluded group, such as people who have not lived in that nation long enough or lack the capacity to understand the law. What you can do:

Record your decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register, whether that is yes, no, or yes to some organs and tissues only. You can also record that your faith or beliefs matter to you.
Tell your family. Families are always consulted before donation goes ahead, and knowing your wishes makes an extremely hard conversation easier.
Consider living donation, such as giving a kidney or part of a liver. This is a major decision with thorough medical and psychological assessment; speak to a transplant centre if you are interested.

Stem cell donation

Stem cell registers match volunteers with patients who need a transplant, often for blood cancers. Registers usually recruit younger adults, because younger donors are more often chosen. Joining involves a cheek swab or blood sample, and you may never be called; if you are, most donations are collected from the bloodstream rather than from bone marrow.

Outside the UK

Most countries have a national blood service or Red Cross blood programme with an online eligibility checker. Age, weight, travel and interval rules vary, as do organ donation laws: some countries use opt-in registration, others opt-out. Search for your national service rather than relying on rules from another country. Are you a regular donor, or thinking about starting? Share your experience or questions in the comments.