Eligibility requirements
These are the main eligibility criteria for becoming a donor:
You must:
- Be between 18 and 60 years of age
- Weigh more than 50 kg and have normal blood pressure and heart rate
- Be a resident of the UK
- Be registered with a General Practitioner (GP) who is registered in the UK
- Bring photographic ID with you to confirm you identity and age on each appointment
(must be original document, photocopies or scans cannot be accepted)
- Have a UK bank account
- Be able to give your informed consent, independently without the use of an interpreter and fully understand the medical questionnaire on every appointment
Please note:
Failing any of the eligibility requirements will mean that the donation cannot take place, and we will not reimburse donors in these circumstances.
You cannot donate if:
- You have been now or previously diagnosed with AIDS/HIV, Syphilis, Hepatitis B or C or any other blood borne infectious disease
- You have any medical problems like asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, anaemia or any condition associated with excessive blood loss
- You are a drug user who has taken recreational drugs/drugs of abuse at any time in the previous 6 weeks
- You have consumed alcohol in the 24 hours before your appointment
- You have taken/applied any prescription or over-the-counter medications or medicated creams i.e. paracetamol, aspirin, ibuprofen, antibiotics, antihistamines steroidal-based creams, within 7 days of your appointment. Contraceptive medications are the exception.
If you wish to discuss anything you may have taken, please feel free to call our office. - If you have had any vaccination in the past 7 days
- You have donated blood anywhere else within the previous 4 months
- You are pregnant, or less than 6 months has passed since delivery or termination
- You have had any tattoos or body piercings in the last 4 months
You can find more information in our FAQ.
If you are able to donate, you can read about and apply for registration.