Including | Apheresis, blood, component, lymphocyte, platelet, stem cell donation and mobilised granulocytes. |
Discretionary | 1. Whole Blood: A minimum interval of 12 weeks between donations should normally be observed. Donors who regularly attend at intervals of less than 16 weeks should be informed that they are at increased risk of iron deficiency. They should be advised to reduce their frequency of donation to an average of 16 weeks or more. Donors with genetic haemochromatosis may donate at intervals of less than 12 weeks. Whole blood donors changing to platelet donation should wait a minimum of four weeks before making their first platelet donation.
2. Components: a) Double Red Cells: A minimum interval of 26 weeks between donations should normally be observed. Donors who attend at intervals of less than 32 weeks should be informed that they are at increased risk of iron deficiency. They should be advised to reduce their frequency of donation to an average of 32 weeks or more. Donors with genetic haemochromatosis may donate at intervals of less than 26 weeks.
b) Apheresis Platelets and Plasma: A minimum interval of two weeks between donations should normally be observed, with a maximum of 24 donations per year. Donors who attend at intervals of less than four weeks should be informed that they are at increased risk of iron deficiency. They should be advised to reduce their frequency of donation to an average of four weeks or more. Apheresis Platelet donors returning to whole blood donation from platelet donation should wait a minimum of four weeks.
c) Apheresis Leucocytes including Mobilised Granulocytes: These are usually directed donations. There should be a minimum of 48 hours between procedures and a donor should not undergo more than two procedures within a seven day period. An apheresis granulocyte donor returning to whole blood donation should wait a minimum of eight weeks.
d) Stem Cell Donors: A donor should not give any routine donations for 12 months following bone marrow harvest, for six months following peripheral blood stem cell harvest and for three months following lymphocyte donation. |
Additional Information | The various intervals are to minimise the risk of developing iron deficiency, except for the deferral periods following stem cell donation. These are to allow the donor to be available for further stem cell or lymphocyte donations should this be required. |
Information | This guidance is consistent with the Council of Europe publication 'Guide to the preparation, use and quality assurance of blood components - 14th edition'. |
Reason for change | A minimum period of time has been added for donors returning to whole blood donation following Apheresis Granulocyte donation. |
Donor Information | If you wish to obtain more information regarding a personal medical issue please contact your National Help Line.
Please do not contact this web site for personal medical queries, as we are not in a position to provide individual answers. |