National Blood Service

The National Blood Service is the organisation for England and North Wales which collects blood and other tissues, tests, processes, and supplies all the hospitals in England and North Wales. There is a separate body which performs these functions in Scotland, the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, which is accountable to the Scottish Executive.

Service history and organisation
The NBS is part of a National Health Service Special Health Authority - NHS Blood and Transplant. The authority also includes the Bio Products Laboratory, which supplies blood products to hospitals and UK Transplant, which operates the national organ donor register.

The service was formed in 1946 as the Blood Transfusion Service (still often referred to as this) the name change came about in 1991 to reflect the move away from a regionally based service to a nationally organised one. The service operates out of 15 centres, and collects around 2.1 million donations per year and supplies 8000 units of blood every day. Service directors proposed a reconfiguration and centralisation strategy in 2006, based on the closure of most local processing and testing labs, and subsequent operation out of just 3 large 'supercentres' to serve the same geographical area. Staff and opposed this strategy, and it is now under review. The future organisation of NBS blood processing and testing is still to be agreed.

Donations
The service depends entirely on voluntary donations from the public. Blood donation sessions are set up through out the country and take place in many diverse venues. From village halls, to mobile collection units (known as Bloodmobiles), blood donation centres (in major towns and cities), and sessions set up companies and organisations so people can donate at work. To be a donor generally you need to be fit and healthy weigh 50 kg (7 st 12 lb) and be aged between your 17th and 60th birthday, although if you donate regularly and are in good health its possible to donate until the age of 70. Donors are encouraged to give up to four times a year.

Each time someone goes to donate their iron level is checked to make sure they are not anaemic. They are also asked to fill in a questionnaire so staff know it is safe to take blood from from the donor (for example they do not have a heart condition), and it is safe to give the donor's blood to someone else. Once these checks are complete the donor lies on a bed and a brand new sterile needle connected to a bag is inserted into their arm. This is not a painful experience despite popular perceptions. It usually takes 5–10 minute to give one unit of blood which is 470–480 millilitres, or just under a pint. Donors are then invited to tea and biscuits to replace the fluids lost, it also serves as a chance for staff to keep an eye on the donor as some can feel light headed or faint. This is usually because of not eating or drinking before donating its recommended that you eat and drink plenty before giving blood especially if you are a new donor. The time spent at a session is between 45 minutes and one hour.

Donations can also be taken by machines called cell separators usually in the blood donation centres located in city centres. These are used to collect platelets (the rest of the blood is returned to the donor) which are tiny fragments of cells in the blood which help it to clot and so stopping bleeding. Platelets are used in the treatment of cancer and leukaemia and a constant supply of them is vital because they only last five days once collected. People who give platelets can donate every two weeks and each donation usually gives 2–3 adult doses. One adult dose of platelets would otherwise require four whole blood donations.

Controversy
The service has come under criticism for a long implemented policy of banning men who’ve had sex with men (MSM) from being blood donors. University students in both England and Scotland protesting against the ban, and Birmingham University's Guild of Students even banning the National Blood Service from setting up a recruitment stall during Fresher's Week. Officials within the service maintain that despite their screening of blood for infections, no test can be always 100% accurate, and they feel the ban is still valid for safety reasons, as MSM’s are at a higher risk of carrying blood transmitted diseases, such as HIV. According to the latest statistics (2005) from the Health Protection Agency a third of newly diagnosed individuals with HIV in the UK were MSM’s. The greatest numbers recorded since the start of the epidemic. MSM also account for 46% of all diagnoses since 1981. They also ban heterosexual people who've engaged in risky (sexual) practices, and people who have recently had acupuncture, tattoos, piercing, and people returning from countries with a high rate of HIV infection.