If you are aged 16-49 and live in the UK we can consider you as a potential Bone Marrow donor but you must be willing to register as a possible bone marrow match for all patients around the world awaiting possible matches. Please note that you cannot just walk into your Doctor's practice or any hospital to give a blood sample to register as a donor.
All we ask of you, is if you are and aged between 16-49 in relatively good health and not obese or under 8 stone, is to give up 30 minutes of your day at the registration drive venue where you can hand in or complete the application form, be counselled about the donation procedures and if you are ever found to be a matched donor what your preparation would be. This is followed by a Q & A's session and finally giving a small saliva sample. The saliva sample is taken to determine your bone marrow tissue type and these details with your name and location will be added on to a database of potential donors for patients awaiting matches around the world. On completion we will arm you with various bits of information and our contact details, just in case you need to speak with us in the future about anything.
For dates of registration drives please click here
If any of the ACLT dates or venues are not convenient to you or you are aged between the ages of 31-49 then we would strongly suggest that you register via the National Blood Service at one our registration drives or by calling them direct. The NBS has the 2nd largest register in the UK of potential bone marrow donors called the British Bone Marrow Registry (BBMR), and has recently raised its upper age limit. Now the age to register onto the BBMR is between 18-49. This great decision will enable many more mature people especially from the under represented communities to join the life saving process of becoming a potential donor. The NBS are always in your area promoting the need for blood donation as well as the urgency for new potential bone marrow donors. As you may well know just 1% of blood donors currently come from the black communities and have a 1 in 100,000 chance of finding a matching bone marrow donor. To improve these odds and to help save more lives the National Blood Service (NBS) has launched the Circle of Life campaign to encourage more donors to step forward.
Please call them on 0300 123 23 23 QUOTE R20 and tell them you want to become a blood and bone marrow donor. They will ask what area you live or work in and can direct you to the closest donation session taking place possibly that same day. They will also post out to you information on blood registration drives in your area.
You can also go to www.blood.co.uk NHS Blood and Transplant to find your nearest public session. Just type in your home town or your postcode and you'll find plenty to choose from. And you don't even have to register before doing so. Just turn up on the day.
If you are willing and able to donate a unit of blood as well as joining the bone marrow register please give them a call to help. It is imperative that you must ensure to inform the NBS staff at the registration clinic that you want to also register as a potential Bone Marrow donor. (Do not presume that the NHSBT staff will automatically test you for Bone Marrow purposes) You will then be asked to read and sign the necessary Bone Marrow form in addition to the standard Blood Transfusion form. When you are donating a unit of blood for transfusion purposes, a small amount will also be taken and put aside for Bone Marrow testing.
You should not give blood via the NHS BLOOD and TRANSPLANT if:
• You've already given blood in the last 12 weeks (normally, you must wait 16 weeks)
• You have a chesty cough, sore throat or active cold sore (although the end of a cold is OK)
• You're currently taking antibiotics or you have just finished a course within the last seven days
• You've had ear or body piercing, acupuncture or tattoos in the last 4 months. ( If your treatment was between 4 and 12 months ago, you must let the NBS know at your donation as an additional blood test will be needed)
• You have received blood or think you may have received blood during the course of any medical treatment or procedure anywhere in the world since 1st January 1980
• You've had a serious illness or major surgery in the past or are currently on medication.
Please discuss this with the clinical staff. The reason you're taking medicines may prevent you from donating
• You've had complicated dental work. Simple fillings are OK after 24 hours, as are simple extractions after 7 days
• You've been in contact with an infectious disease or have been given certain immunisations in the last four weeks
• You're presently on a hospital waiting list or undergoing medical tests
• Please wait 6 months after returning from a malarial area before giving blood
