As a new donor, we know you're eager to give blood and save lives straight away. We'll still need your help in the future so please search several months ahead. Find out more about becoming a blood donor. Our appointment system carefully balances the supply of blood with the changing demand from patients. You can book an appointment to give blood as soon as you sign up as a blood donor.
However, the next convenient appointment might not be straightaway. We have 25 permanent donation centres in major towns and cities. These centres are often open at evenings and weekends and have more appointments available than sessions in other venues. Permanent donor centres are highlighted when you search for an appointment online or using the NHS Give Blood app.
We also run mobile donation sessions from church halls and other community venues. These venues are always popular and appointments book up quickly. Sign in to your online account or use the app to check for last-minute appointments. There are 8 main blood types but hospitals need different amounts of each type. Blood also has a limited shelf life so we avoid waste by only collecting the amount we need. To make sure we collect the right amount of each type, there are different numbers of appointments for different blood donors.
There are more appointments for donors with blood types that people often need, such as O negative. On the other hand, there are fewer appointments for blood types where demand is lower, such as AB positive. If supplies of a particular blood type dip, we prioritise appointments for regular donors with that blood type.
More about the demand for different blood types. As we know their blood type, this helps us collect the right amount of each blood type to meet demand. Hi there, we see you're using OS , why not try our app? Skip to main content. Your account Appointments About you Log out. Plasma What is plasma? Who can donate plasma Plasma donors and disability Where to donate plasma How to donate plasma Why we need plasma donors.
