Children at donation venues
Updated 7 March 2024
We value the commitment and dedication of all our donors. So, to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable, we have some rules about children at our donation venues.
Bringing children to your appointment
Children (anyone aged 16 and under) are welcome at our donation venues whilst you donate. However, specific criteria about bringing children to your appointment have been introduced.
You can only bring children with you to your appointment if they are accompanied by another adult who is:
- not donating (or has an appointment booked at least 1 hour after the first donor)
- known to the children
- able to take responsibility of the children in an emergency
These rules are based on the advice of other UK blood collection services and the NSPCC. They are similar to those followed in Wales, where there is a 45 minute gap between appointments.
Why are we making these changes?
Donation sessions can present hazards to children if they are not supervised while their parent or carer donates.
Also, although rare, some donors can become unwell because of their donation.
Having another adult present to make sure the child is safe allows our staff to provide the best possible care.
How we will support you
We value all our life saving donors and understand that these changes might affect when you are able to donate. We appreciate your flexibility and are committed to providing support to enable you to continue to donate.
If you have no one to support your child at one of our venues, we can help you make an appointment for when you have childcare arrangements.
Appointments are available at a range of dates and times and at many of our venues. Please call us on 0300 123 23 23 and one of the team happily support you.
If you do need to reschedule your appointment, you can do this in your online account.