The Donation Process

The whole donation process involves really simple steps and takes an average of 45 minutes to complete:

1. Form Filling (5 mins)
   Complete the health assessment questionnaire to determine your eligibility for donation. The completion of this questionnaire should be done in private as it is a personal statement of your medical and social history.
2. Registration (5 mins)
   Your personal particulars will be recorded and you will be placed in the donation queue.
3. Haemoglobin Check (5 mins)
   Your haemoglobin level will be measured by a fingerprick test to ensure that you can give blood. The minimum level required is 12.5 g/dL for females, and at least 13.0g/dL for males.
4. Medical Screening (10-15 mins)
   A medical screener will go through your responses to the health assessment questionnaire with you and measure your weight, pulse, blood pressure and temperature to confirm you are fit for donation.
5. Blood Donation (10-15 mins)
   A trained nurse will attend to you to make sure you are comfortable, before cleaning your arm and applying a local painkiller to ensure you feel minimal pain during the donation process. The actual withdrawal of blood takes about 5 to 10 minutes and 350-450 ml of blood is collected.
6. Rest and Refreshment (15 mins)
   Light refreshments will be provided while you rest for 10-15 minutes. This is to ensure that you feel well before leaving the blood collection site.