Platelet donations

Platelet bags

A platelet transfusion can be the difference between life and death for leukaemia patients and people undergoing chemotherapy. As new treatments develop, more patients are being successfully treated with platelets which mean there is a growing demand for platelet transfusions.

Platelet donor criteria:

  • Aged 18 years or over
  • Height and weight restrictions apply for platelet donors - please enquire at one of the Donor Centres below
  • Have donated blood at least once in the last two years with good flow and no adverse reactions
  • Meet donor eligibility criteria
  • Blood groups: A or O (Rh positive or negative)Your availability, the suitability of your veins and platelet count are also factors we need to consider  before accepting you as a platelet donor.

Benefits

Platelets and plasma can be taken from a whole blood donation too. But one donation of platelets by apheresis provides the same amount of platelets as 8 to 12 whole blood donations combined.

There is also minimal risk of iron depletion because red blood cells are returned to the donor.

To learn more or to sign up to be a Platelet Donor, please contact one of the following Donor Centres:

How to become a platelet donor (pdf, 1.7 MB)

You may need to download Adobe Reader to view the PDF files. It is available free from the Adobe site(external link).

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