Blood donation process
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) and test your blood pressure.
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 what happens to your donation.
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.