Improving your donation experience
We’ve recently implemented changes to the whole blood donation process to help improve your experience.
- For returning donors, we will no longer be measuring your blood pressure.
- You will be asked to drink 500 ml of water and be provided with a salty snack to have before donating. We encourage you to bring your own filled water bottle to ensure you stay hydrated before and after your donation.
- While on the donation chair, you will be encouraged to perform muscle tension exercises.
- Lastly, an enhanced pressure bandage will be applied to your arm after you’ve donated. This bandage applies consistent pressure which helps to prevent rebleeding.
Before you donate
Looking after your health is important. On the day of your donation, there are a few extra things to do.
- Make sure you drink lots of water; eat a healthy meal and get a good night’s sleep.
- Have a salty snack and 500 mL of water just before you donate.
- Make sure to bring valid ID
- Donated before? Please bring your blood donor card.
- First-time donating or can’t find your card? Bring ID that is government-issued with your full name and date-of-birth. We’ll then order you a blood donor card for next time.
- And you might want to do a quick eligibility check before coming in. Take our quiz!
On the day of your donation
Arrive at our donor centre to a friendly welcome from our staff. They'll greet you, do a quick identification check and direct you to the first station in the process.
You will start to see the new check-in kiosk when you come in to donate.
Don’t forget to have your water and salty snack.
Questionnaire
You’ll complete our donor questionnaire on a touchscreen, answering the donation questions on a tablet! It's completely confidential and there to protect you and the person who receives your blood.
You’ll be able to skip this step if you have a blood donor ID number, an appointment booked and your email address on file – then we can send the online questionnaire in advance.
Interview
Please ensure that you read the appropriate brochure as they contain important information about the donation process:
A trained staff member will go over your questionnaire answers with you and ask some additional questions to confirm that you are good to donate.
They'll give you a 'finger prick' test to check your level of hemoglobin (a protein which contains iron).
Donate
- Sit back and relax in a comfy chair while you donate. You can read, chat with our team members or other donors, or just relax knowing you are saving lives.
- And don’t worry, we always use a new, sterile needle for every donation and safely dispose of used needles.
- We'll keep a close eye on you while you're donating to make sure you're OK. Talk to a staff member if you feel uncomfortable or worried.
- Ever wonder what happens to your blood donation? Learn more about
brochures
Relax and refresh
After your donation is finished, we will apply a bandage to your arm.
If you’re a first time donor, you should rest on your chair for at least 5 minutes just to make sure you’re ok.
If you’ve donated before, rest on your chair for 2 minutes.
While you’re resting, we’ll ask you to do some muscle tensing exercises.
After you’ve rested, head to the refreshments area and relax for at least 15 minutes with a complimentary cool drink and a snack – many donors say this is their favourite part of the process!
This is the perfect time to book your next appointment using our GiveBlood app or online at blood.ca.