Kiwis are being encouraged get behind National Blood Donor Week from June 8-14 by giving back some of their red liquid gold.

According to the New Zealand Blood Service (NZBS), Aotearoa needs more than 5000 donations every week to ensure blood and plasma are available for those in need.

“However, the need for blood and plasma is constant, so we’re looking for more lifesavers. By putting aside a small part of your day, you can make a life-changing difference, you can become a lifesaver too!”

Before donating blood or plasma, Kiwis need to check their eligibility.

Eligibility criteria protect the health of donors, and ensure patients who receive a transfusion have access to blood and plasma that is safe to use.

People can check basic eligibility criteria in the NZBS online Eligibility Quiz but there are additional criteria that need to be assessed in person on the day of a donation.

NZBS has made it easy to donate blood or plasma by offering an online booking service on their website. See: www.nzblood.co.nz

On arrival, people need to check in at the reception desk. Take a suitable form of ID – either an NZBS Blood Donor ID card (physical or on the app), birth certificate (in English), driver’s licence (in English), passport, school or university ID card, a HANZ 18+ card or a firearm licence.

New donors need to verify their details by filling out a Donor Details Form. It will ask for additional information such as the person’s country of birth, address, title and sex at birth.

Once checked in, people will be asked to read the NZBS mandatory and complete a Donor Health Questionnaire, asking questions about their health, lifestyle and disease risk factors.

These questions are designed to identify individuals at an increased risk of acquiring blood-borne diseases, such as HIV, hepatitis and other infectious conditions.

Once that is completed, donors sign a declaration that to the best of their knowledge the health information given is correct and give consent to the testing for blood groups and evidence of some infections in the blood that they donate. When the questionnaire is completed, each person will have a confidential interview with a NZBS nurse or donor technician. They will check the individual’s haemoglobin level using a finger prick test. This is a great opportunity to discuss the donation process and ask any questions.

Once the interview is completed successfully, the donor will be taken to a donation chair and seated comfortably.

The donor’s arm will be cleaned at the venepuncture site (on the inside of the elbow) and a sterile, single-use needle will be inserted. The time spent in the donation chair will vary depending on the type of donation the individual is giving.

This National Blood Donor Week, people are encouraged to book a Bloody Important Meeting!

This asks people to get together in a group – be it family, friends or work colleagues – and give blood at their nearest blood bank.

Book now at: www.nzblood.co.nz. For those who plan to contribute regularly, download the NZ Blood Donor app from the Apple App Store or on Google Play. Search “NZ Blood” to find it.