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Prevention And Treatment Of Blood Donation Essay

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According to the NHS 120,000 fewer people joined the blood donor register in 2014-15 than in 2004-05. This is significant sd it means there is a lack of volume and variation of blood. Throughout this brief I will consider the current system, mark out areas in need of improvement and consider alternatives to combat these increasing blood donation in the UK.

Currently UK donors voluntarily register to donate. However not everyone can donate. For example, you must be healthy aged between 17-65, you cannot donate if you have visited a malaria infected country, nor if you have had a tattoo in the last year and you cannot donate if you are pregnant. All of which are in the interests of donor safety and those receiving blood. Per donation approximately 470 ml of blood is taken and with an appointment the process should take around one hour. The process includes a preparation session, followed by a general health screening and then the donation can take place.

There are various issues in the current system and if addressed the number of people donating will increase. One of the main issues is the lack of public knowledge regarding both why donation is important and what the donation process involves. Many are afraid to donate and in some cases there is concern that the NHS process is not entirely safe. This is Mei Leng Yew’s main argument when she considered how the UK can encourage Ethnic minorities to donate. Although I think she was incorrect in limiting the scope as this

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