Your questions

You can give blood in one of our donor centres, in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, or Inverness. We also collect blood in communities across Scotland. To find out when we're in your area next, go to the homepage and search on your town or postcode.

You can give plasma at any of our donor centres, in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Inverness.

You can give platelets at our Aberdeen, Edinburgh or Glasgow donor centres.

You must wait at least 12 weeks between blood donations. After a donation, most people's haemoglobin levels are back to normal after 12 weeks. We ask you to wait at least 12 weeks between donations to make sure we don't risk lowering your haemoglobin levels over the long term.

You can give plasma as often as every four weeks, should you wish. However, we would love to welcome you 4-6 times per year.

You can give platelets as often as every four weeks, should you wish. However, we would love to welcome you 4-6 times per year.

All our sessions are run by appointment. Giving blood by appointment helps us help patients better. When you book an appointment we know we can rely on your blood type on that date, making it easier for us to regulate blood stocks. That way, we know there will always be enough for patients needs. You can book blood donation appointments online or if you'd rather give us a call on 0345 90 90 999 to book in, we would love to hear from you. For plasma or platelet appointments, contact your local centre.

You can cancel or reschedule blood donation appointments at scotblood.co.uk using your online donor account. Alternatively, call us on 0345 90 90 999, email us on nss.snbtsenquiry@nhs.scot, or get in touch using the 'Contact us' page. For plasma or platelet appointments, contact your local centre in the usual way.

You may know in advance that you need to be tested for malaria before you can give blood. If this is the case, please book a standard appointment as usual. Please let us know during your health screening check if you need a MAT. We may be able to taken a donation and test it behind the scenes or we may take small sample of your blood, and you won’t be able to give a donation that day. If we take samples without a donation, we will send you a letter with the results and let you know what to do next.

Giving blood takes about an hour, including time for a drink and a snack. Giving plasma takes about an hour, and giving platelets takes no longer than 90 minutes.

Our team will be there to help you through every step of the process. You can ask our friendly team any question. Senior Nurse Pauline Stewart, Glasgow Donor Centre, says: 'Our team love working with donors and are here to help you in any way. No question is too silly, and chances are we've been asked it before.'

For most people, giving blood, plasma or platelets is a painless and trouble-free experience. However, there are some potential risks, and it is important donors know about these before deciding to give blood. The donor information leaflet, 'Giving blood: Process, risks and information' gives information about the possible risks of giving blood and how to reduce these risks. Risks of donating plasma or platelets are very similar, with the main differences relating to the the increased duration of the procedure and the specific risk of a citrate reaction (see 'Give plasma' and 'Give platelets' pages for more information) All donors receive an 'After giving blood' post-donation card, with advice on how to look after yourself after donation and contact details if you have any concerns.

The provision of the safest possible blood supply is our primary concern, and we will study the recommendations made by the Inquiry very carefully to ensure that lessons from that period have been learned. By implementing the latest scientific advances and our continual collaboration with expert bodies and regulatory authorities, SNBTS strives to safeguard the wellbeing of both donors and recipients. This approach to safety ensures measures are in place to significantly reduce and mitigate any risk, establishing trust and confidence in the safety of the blood supply chain across Scotland.

All donations are tested for infection with Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B (past and present), Hepatitis C, Hepatitis E, HIV, HTLV, Syphilis, and high levels of Human Parvovirus B19 (Slapped Cheek syndrome). We may also test for Malaria or West Nile virus. If a test is positive we can't use your donation and we will be in touch to offer advice and support on what to do next. Some donations are also tested for sickle haemoglobin (Sickle Cell). This test may also pick up elevated HbA1c levels, which may be linked to diabetes.

Yes, men who have sex with men can give blood. We use a donor's individual experiences to determine whether that person is safe to donate at any given time. We ask every donor the same questions, regardless of age, sex or sexual orientation. Restrictions may still apply, but these apply to everyone equally. This makes the donation process fair for all donors.

You will be told if there is a positive result for any of your tests, and we will give you advice.

We receive excellent support from workplaces across Scotland. Some workplaces with corporate social responsibility programmes allow time off for blood donation as part of their volunteering commitment. Speak to your HR department to find out if this is an option in your workplace.

The key to setting up workplace donation sessions is finding out who the right person is within your organisation. When new organisations approach us, we have information and processes in place to make the process as smooth as possible. See our 'Give blood at work' page for more information.

It's great. We take great pride in our donor sessions, our team love their jobs and each session is full of amazing blood donors - just like you.