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I've happily donated blood to the lovely NHS for years. But over the last two years it all seems to be going to hell in a handcart. Or I've become grumpier, or both.
The NHS blood team call me several months beforehand and we agree a donation time, generally at around 7pm so I can drive straight there after work. They text me 48 hours beforehand to remind me then text again on the day to remind me once more and to encourage me to drink lots of water. I turn up at the time and, every session for the last 24 months, I'm told '40 minute wait until you are first seen.' Of course that's just the start of the process. It's now taking almost 2 hours to donate blood and that after a 10 hour day.
On Thursday night there were 30 people in the queue ahead of me so I declined to donate and walked out. On Friday I get a text saying stocks of my blood group are low (I have an uncommon group) and please would I donate.
I'd like to donate but something has gone wrong and I feel waiting two hours to do something that is entirely voluntary is pushing it. I can't tell if they are overbooking numbers, allowing walk-ins to be added to the queue or whether it's a local management thing. I'm considering stopping but then feel guilty.
Anybody else donate and is this your experience?

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I have not donated blood in this country. I had to donate blood once when in Saudi Arabia (1985) in order to get a Saudi driving license. That was part of the deal. But it put me in a fit and I felt rotten for the rest of the day afterwards. Consequently I have not donated again.

But this kind of thing is surely symptomatic of the pressures that the NHS is now under. We don't have enough money. Nobody does these days. Well at least I don't. Lottery winners might.

It does seem to be par for the course these days. Gave blood end of Dec last, waiting time about 40 minutes as well. I book online and the earliest I can donate again is end of March, out of the 4 closest centres end of April is the next available date (3 out of the 4 don't even feature for the next 6 month or more).

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MacPro (2010) quad core macOS 10.15.7
13" (2011) Macbookpro OSX 10.10.3
15" (2017) Macbookpro OS 13.3
iPhone 11 iOS16
Original iPad wifi

I suppose I feel slightly better knowing it's more widely spread. However an introduction to queuing theory might be useful for the organisers. I understand and sympathise with those in the NHS working in A&E - I see what pressures they are under regularly but when you are asking for volunteers then you need to make it easy and efficient. All I've had is a corporate shrug and 'what can you do' attitude when I've questioned the delays. What I can do is not go but that doesn't help those who need the donation.

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iMac Retina 5k 27"
iPad Pro 128Gb
iPhone 5SE 64Gb
Apple TV4
AirPods
plus several other Macs around the house

Underfunding strikes again.

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I'm never wrong, I'm just less right on occasions.

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MacPro (2010) quad core macOS 10.15.7
13" (2011) Macbookpro OSX 10.10.3
15" (2017) Macbookpro OS 13.3
iPhone 11 iOS16
Original iPad wifi

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