National Blood Donor Week!
Monday 13 June marks the beginning of National Blood Donor Week.
National Blood Donor Week is a week raising awareness of the lifesaving importance of blood donation to encourage those who have never donated to give it a go.
Hospitals in Wales require 350 donations a day to support patients in need.
These donations play a vital role in saving lives each day by supporting a range of treatments, from helping recovering accident victims and patients with blood cancers to supporting mothers and new-born babies during childbirth. The Welsh Blood Service supports 20 hospitals across the country and relies on donations from blood, platelet and bone marrow donors to support patients in need.
Help fight blood cancer by joining our bone marrow registry
Tuesday 14 June is the one-year anniversary since blood donation rules in the UK were changed, meaning that more people from LGBTQ+ communities are eligible to donate.
All donors, regardless of gender, are now asked a new set of questions about sexual behaviours, focused mainly on the last three months, meaning that more people from LGBTQ+ communities are eligible to donate.
Who can donate blood?
We encourage and welcome most adults to give blood. There are some reasons people can’t donate, but not as many as people think! Anyone who fits in with the criteria below may be able to give blood. If you are:
Between the age of 17 and 66 (for your first donation)
Weigh over 7 stone 12 pounds (50kg)
Healthy and not subject to medical exclusions