In response to the Covid-19 outbreak, the Welsh Blood Service now accept blood donations from people with genetic haemochromatosis pre-maintenance, subject to their established eligibility criteria. These guidelines differ from those recently established in England.

• if you have genetic haemochromatosis, you can ask your hospital consultant or healthcare professional to refer you to WBS as a GH donor.
• you can become a donor only if :
  • you are 65 years old or younger
  • there is no evidence of organ damage (eg cardiomyopathy, liver cirrhosis, diabetes etc)
  • your consultant is willing to supervise your care (as WBS do not monitor iron levels) and can specify to WBS the donation frequency
  • your consultant has completed a GH donor referral form and you have completed a patient consent declaration
• Patients within the therapeutic as well as maintenance phases of their treatment are accepted, provided you meet the criteria above and are otherwise well, at a minimum donation interval of every 2 weeks.
• There may be a delay between initial referral and an appointment being offered at a WBS venue
• Appointments are available at locations in Wales, only.

How do I register as a GH donor and book a blood donation session?

If you live in Wales, contact your hospital consultant and ask them to complete the necessary referral forms. If you are accepted for donation, the Welsh Blood Service will contact you directly to arrange an appointment. 

We hope this special scheme will be value to many members. If you can, please get involved! 

Our charity is monitoring the progress of this scheme, closely. If you'd like to share your experiences of this scheme, please complete our 2 minute survey.

2-minute Survey