Thank you for offering to give blood. Your donation is a precious gift to the patients of Scotland.
There are more than 200 rules guiding the selection of donors, which means some people will not be eligible to give blood for various lengths of time. Some donors may be asked to take a break from giving blood, for example due to medical, travel or lifestyle reasons. If this happens, we will explain why. We will also let you know when it is time for you to return and give blood. We encourage you to return when you can, as your donation is important to Scottish patients.
Every donor is asked to fill in a questionnaire each time they donate to assess if they are eligible to give blood. This keeps donors and the patients who receive blood safe.
Our teams at donation sessions, and on our donor advice lines, are trained to assess eligibility using the most up to date UK guidelines. They can usually advise you without any delay. However, every individual is unique and sometimes more information is helpful. This means our donor medical team may be asked to help if more information is needed.
How do the donor medical team help with eligibility enquiries?
If required, a SNBTS doctor will assess the information you have shared. The doctor may be able to give an answer straight away, or they may get in touch with you to ask a few more questions. If you have given permission, they may contact your GP (if more information is needed to assess if you can give blood). We may still contact you even if you have given permission to contact your GP, e.g. to ask further information.
We are delighted you want to give blood, and your donation is very important to us. It may take longer to respond to your enquiry during busy times or if we need to contact your GP.
How and when should I follow up my query?
Every donor is important to us so please be assured that we are working to answer your eligibility enquiry. We want to make sure we are taking the very best care of you.
If you have any questions you can contact us online at www.scotblood.co.uk/contactus/ or by phoning us on 0345 90 90 999 (Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm).
If you would like further information about how we use your data, please refer to NSS Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service: Data Protection Notice.
Thank you. Contact us t: 0345 90 90 999
w: scotblood.co.uk
Facebook: givebloodforscotland
X: @givebloodscot
Instagram: givebloodscot
This publication can be made available in large print, braille (English only), audio tape and different languages. Please contact nss.equalitydiversity@nhs.scot for further information.
NATL 532
Published December 2025