National Blood Donor Week

BLOOD DONATION

On the 14th of June, we acknowledge and thank voluntary blood donors, and encourage new donors. Lifeblood, a division of the Australian Red Cross Society, is funded by Australian governments, who provide life-giving blood, plasma, transplantation and biological products for world-leading health outcomes.

Without donors, they are unable to deliver these services which are critical for the health of our nation. Lifeblood’s values include safety and quality, integrity, service, collaboration, accountability and excellence. With the help of blood donors, these values are achieved and promoted in an even greater sense.

One-in-three Australians will need blood products at some point in their lives, and with donated blood lasting just 42 days, its crucial to donate regularly. 1 single donation can save up to 3 lives, and with the challenges of COVID-19 and isolating, 1-in-2 donors are unable to make their appointments.

To check your eligibility to donate blood, answer these few short questions here. Once you have had your appointment, it is first carefully packed and sent to a processing centre. Here, it is tested to ensure it’s safe for a patient. If all is well, it is placed in a centrifuge, where the blood sample separates the red blood cells, plasma and the white blood cells and platelets. It’s then put into a press, which squashes the red cells in one bag, and plasma into another. The white blood cells and platelets remain in the original bag. These are then distributed to where they’re needed most.

BLOOD DONOR WEEK

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