NHS Give Blood

i have been booking my appointments for quite a few years now and I find this app really easy to use to book, cancel or change your appointments if you need to. Plus you also have a list of venues to choose from should your usual place not be available. It is also full of really good information with health check information so that you can see if you are eligible to donate. It also contains easy access and details of your previous donations. I think this is one of the best apps ever, also they actually have people who you can ring and speak to if you are unsure of anything, something which you don’t often find these days. The only downside I have is that they ask you to choose a time slot (I have recently given my 60th donation) which is never needed as I often have had to wait at least an hour past my appointment time so what is the point of this. Would It not be easier for donors to just arrive on a first come basis and wait in a queuing system

The app is easy to use and it’s simple enough to find and book appointments. I’ve read the other reviews and can honestly say, I find logging in simple. I have Face ID set, so I access straight away. As for appointments, you can’t always please everyone and sometimes slots will already be taken. However, I haven’t yet found that I couldn’t book a time or venue that made it difficult for me. In a nutshell, the app is fit for purpose and easy to use for whole blood donation. I think sometimes we all need to remember that we don’t donate for our convenience, we do it to save lives. Finally, I would just like to give a special shout out to the NHS staff who are always friendly and welcoming and make the whole experience a pleasant one. The real heroes.

It is not easy to book appointments WHERE and WHEN you want to go. The app pushes me to ONLY A FEW venues where blood donor sessions are happening in the area local to me. And often these are where there is little or no parking facilities. -Not appropriate or safe to use public transport in these Covid times and UNFAIR of the NHSBT to expect that. I would rather drive for 20 minutes to a venue that is safe to get to and where the parking is available and free. But even if you try and pick another location it doesn’t work, gives you dates many months away if at all. Many donors complain about how hard it is to get appointments. They can’t get the venue they want as the option just doesn’t come up. Or when trying to book in advance there is No availability for several months after their 12week /16week required gap between donations. (A lot of slightly older donors have said they miss the chance to book appointments before they leave their current session appointment. -This is prior to my donor experience so not my opinion but of several others I have met.) The app would be great - if it actually gave you the options for appointments that suited you. There is lots of lovely information on the app, just not the easy donor-friendly functionality of appointment booking.