Do Something Amazing and Give Blood

14th June 2021

It’s World Blood Donor Day on Monday, 14 June, 2021, and Stockport Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) has its very own champion blood donor.

Alison Newton, Corporate Support Officer, NHS Stockport CCG, has been a blood donor since she was 18 and has donated 61 pints of this lifesaver over the years.

Alison, aged 52 and from Stockport, became a blood donor at the age of 18, following in the footsteps of her Mum who was also a donor.

Alison said: “It’s really simple to give blood, you can donate anywhere that is convenient, just pick a date and location that suits you. When you arrive, you are screened to check that you are healthy and not anaemic. After donating, you get a well deserved drink and biscuit.

“The whole process takes about an hour. When I first donated blood, I was on an old style trolley bed, but now you get a comfortable reclining chair.”

Women can donate blood three times per year and men four times. Therefore it’s been a huge commitment of Alison’s to keep donating and she has received a silver blood donor award for her contributions.

Blood or the components of blood are used to treat patients with medical conditions such as anaemia, cancer blood disorders, and those having surgery.

Alison said: “A couple of weeks after your donation, you will receive a text to say where your blood has been used along with a roadmap of the journey of your blood.

“My most recent donations have been at St James’s University Hospital in Leeds, The Walton Centre in Liverpool and Bradford Royal Infirmary.  Prior to it being issued, your blood is checked for a number of other conditions including HIV and Hepatitis. I donated three times during lockdown when there were additional checks. The benefits of blood donation far outweigh the time it takes to donate.”

You can find out more about blood donation, and how to register to give blood, here.