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The Guildhall
Frankwell Quay
Shrewsbury
SY3 8HQ
 
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01743 281000
 
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Blood, Bone Marrow and Organ Donations

A blood donation

Blood Donations

The National Blood Service is part of the National Health Service and is responsible for collecting, screening, and delivering blood to wherever it is needed around the country in order to save lives.

2.1 million donations are needed each year to support the life saving medical procedures and operations that take place each day.

Donating blood is easy, painless, and takes about 10 minutes to actually take your blood.  Simply find your nearest session, turn up, answer a few questions about your health and lifestyle, and then donate your blood happy in the knowledge that you are helping save someone's life!

Bone Marrow Donations

Bone marrow is a substance inside certain bones that is responsible for producing new blood.  Sometimes bone marrow is damaged as a result of treatment for leukaemia or a related cancer of the blood.  In these cases a bone marrow transplant is needed to enable the person to survive.

A bone marrow transplant will be done in one of two ways.  Both procedures are considered to be relatively painless for a donor, although the more traditional method requires the donor to undergo general anaesthetic.

When a bone marrow transplant is needed, a database of potential donors is searched.  A tissue match between a patient and a donor is required for a transplant to take place, so many times no suitable donor is found.  This is why people as many people as possible are encouraged to register on the database to increase the chance of a match being found, even though they may never be required to donate their bone marrow.

Organ Donation

Most people are aware it is possible to help others after your death by becoming an organ donor.  Last year 400 people died while waiting for a transplant, but you could help by registering as an organ donor.  To do this you should;

  • Register on the organ donor register
  • Carry a donor card
  • Inform your family and friends

If you do not wish to donate your organs you should also make your wishes clear to family and friends.

The Human Tissue Act 2004

The Human Tissue Act 2004 came into force on the 1st September 2006 and gives priority to the wishes of organ donors who have registered on the organ donor register.  Before this Act, families could overrule the donors wishes, whereas the new Act makes it clear that if someone wanted to donate, their wishes should be fulfilled.