Fortrose Academy S6 pupils get insight on blood donation ahead of next Black Isle session
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PUPILS at a Ross-shire secondary school were given an overview of what's involved in being a blood donor ahead of a soon-come session next to their place of learning.
S6 pupils at Fortrose Academy enjoyed a visit from the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service.
The information session for senior pupils came ahead of the next Black Isle session on Tuesday, March 5.
It will take place in the Black Isle Leisure Centre next to the school.
Anyone interested in donating, please book an appointment on scottblood.co.uk
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I'm interested in donating blood – what next?
If you haven't given blood before (or haven't given for a while), you can sign up online or over the phone.
To sign up online, just click the 'Register' button (or the little red head icon if you're using a phone or tablet) at the top right of this website, and fill in the form. As soon as you've registered you can use the online account to make your first appointment.
You can also telephone to register and make an appointment on 0345 90 90 999.
What happens after that?
If you live in a city with a donor centre, the service will invite you to give blood soon after. You must leave twelve weeks between donations.
If you give blood in your community, you'll be invited you to your next local blood donor session. After that the service will get in touch when in your area.
As part of the invite, the service will send a donor health check form, which goes through your medical, lifestyle and travel history. Fill it in and bring it with you - it'll save time when you arrive. However, if you lose it or it gets damaged, just come along anyway.
On the day, check you're feeling fit and rested. Give yourself plenty of time to avoid rushing.
In the three hours before you give blood, eat something salty or savoury, and drink three glasses of water.
If you have any questions about your health, travel or lifestyle (or need to cancel or rearrange your appointment), give the donor advice line a quick ring on 0345 90 90 999
Blood types – did you know?
Type AB- is the rarest blood type in Scotland. In fact, If you have AB- blood, you're one of less than 27,000 people.
More than two million people in Scotland have type O+ blood, making it the most common blood type in Scotland. This means that although there will always be more potential O+ donors, there will also be more O+ patients.
Group O- blood can be given to almost anyone, making it an extremely valuable resource for emergencies where blood is needed immediately. This universal quality means additional stocks of O- are needed to provide standby cover. 9.5 per cent of the population have this type.
Find out more about the eight major blood types here.
