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Coronavirus update

Please make sure you are able to donate by reading our coronavirus advice for donors.

Plasma

What is plasma?

Plasma is the largest single component of blood, and makes up about 55% of total blood volume. It is a clear, straw-coloured liquid, which carries platelets, red and white blood cells.

It contains over 700 proteins and other substances. Once separated from blood cells, plasma can be used in transfusions.

Donating plasma for coronavirus trials

We are collecting COVID-19 convalescent plasma from people who have recovered from this illness for use in COVID-19 clinical trials.

The trials will investigate whether convalescent plasma transfusions could improve a COVID-19 patient’s speed of recovery and chances of survival.

If you have had a positive test result for coronavirus or the symptoms, you may be able to help by donating plasma at one of our main donor centres.

Find out who we’re looking for and how to register your interest in taking part.

Three bags of fresh frozen plasma thawing before transfusion

Collecting plasma from blood and platelet donors

There are two ways we normally collect plasma:

  • by separating it out from regular blood donations
  • from our male A and AB type platelet donors, while they’re donating platelets

Plasma from female donors is not currently used (except for in coronavirus trials). This is because women are more likely to have antibodies in their plasma, created against their baby’s blood during pregnancy.

How plasma is used to save lives

Donated plasma is frozen to preserve its quality and function. This component is known as fresh frozen plasma, or FFP.

FFP can be issued to hospitals or further processed into a more concentrated component that is rich in certain clotting factors called cryoprecipitate.

Plasma transfusions can help the blood to clot and also replace dangerous substances in the patient’s own plasma.Keri in hospital bed bed holds baby Lucy

FFP and cryoprecipitate can be used to help many types of patients – for example people with massive blood loss, liver failure, or rare diseases.

Keri Anglin (pictured) received 22 units of blood, 16 units of fresh frozen plasma, two units of cryoprecipitate and two units of platelets, after a massive bleed while giving birth.

Plasma for immunoglobulins

Plasma can also be used for medicines called immunoglobulins. We do not work with these products.

More about how plasma is used