Blood doning
#1
Retired and loving it!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Ontinyent - Valencia region (campo)
Posts: 5,160
Blood doning
Has anyone else experienced this problem?
I've been meaning to donate blood in Spain for some time now and finally got 'round to visiting them today.
Having given over 150 donations in UK (blood and platelets), I really do believe it's the right thing to do.
Well, apparently, us Brits can't donate in Spain in case we have 'Mad Cow Disease'
How stupid is that?!?
I've been meaning to donate blood in Spain for some time now and finally got 'round to visiting them today.
Having given over 150 donations in UK (blood and platelets), I really do believe it's the right thing to do.
Well, apparently, us Brits can't donate in Spain in case we have 'Mad Cow Disease'
How stupid is that?!?
#2
Re: Blood doning
That is my understanding too but someone on here said some time ago that they donate blood but I do not know how they manage to.
Rosemary
Rosemary
#3
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,890
Re: Blood doning
Hi, butting in from the France forum, it's a question of how long you've been permanently living away from the UK. If you've been an expat since before the Mad Cow Disease, then your blood is deemed OK and not contaminated. At least that's how I've been able to give blood in France without problem (but I'm too old now)
#4
Re: Blood doning
Yup, queued for ages to give blood here in 2004 and was turned away! Even though I have a relatively rare blood type (thought it might come in handy lol) and have been a vegetarian for 30 years...
Don't understand why the blood can't be taken and tested - it's surely tested before use anyway?!
Don't understand why the blood can't be taken and tested - it's surely tested before use anyway?!
#5
Retired and loving it!
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2007
Location: Ontinyent - Valencia region (campo)
Posts: 5,160
Re: Blood doning
Yup, queued for ages to give blood here in 2004 and was turned away! Even though I have a relatively rare blood type (thought it might come in handy lol) and have been a vegetarian for 30 years...
Don't understand why the blood can't be taken and tested - it's surely tested before use anyway?!
Don't understand why the blood can't be taken and tested - it's surely tested before use anyway?!
My blood is the universal donor (O -ve) so quite useful I'd have thought and I also give platelets which are of extreme benefits to babies as well as cancer patients.
#7
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Apr 2008
Location: Hérault (34)
Posts: 8,890
Re: Blood doning
Hi, butting in from the France forum, it's a question of how long you've been permanently living away from the UK. If you've been an expat since before the Mad Cow Disease, then your blood is deemed OK and not contaminated. At least that's how I've been able to give blood in France without problem (but I'm too old now)
If you've lived permanently in Spain since 1996 and they refused your blood, they must be stricter than the French....
And apparently the USA refuses blood from people who lived anywhere in EUROPE during the mad cow outbreak...
#8
Re: Blood doning
I was thinking about this today.
I was turned away for giving blood back in 2004/2005 because "Royal Decree 1088/2005 of 16 September, establishes, for all Spain, an exclusion on donations from persons who resided within the UK for more than 12 months at any time in the period 1980-1996"
Presumably if I ate dodgy burgers, or whatever, I would have developed CJD by now. Does anyone know what the incubation period for CJD is and, if it's fewer than 25 years (2011 minus 1996) are the Spanish health Authorities re-considering our status?
I was turned away for giving blood back in 2004/2005 because "Royal Decree 1088/2005 of 16 September, establishes, for all Spain, an exclusion on donations from persons who resided within the UK for more than 12 months at any time in the period 1980-1996"
Presumably if I ate dodgy burgers, or whatever, I would have developed CJD by now. Does anyone know what the incubation period for CJD is and, if it's fewer than 25 years (2011 minus 1996) are the Spanish health Authorities re-considering our status?
#9
Re: Blood doning
I was thinking about this today.
I was turned away for giving blood back in 2004/2005 because "Royal Decree 1088/2005 of 16 September, establishes, for all Spain, an exclusion on donations from persons who resided within the UK for more than 12 months at any time in the period 1980-1996"
Presumably if I ate dodgy burgers, or whatever, I would have developed CJD by now. Does anyone know what the incubation period for CJD is and, if it's fewer than 25 years (2011 minus 1996) are the Spanish health Authorities re-considering our status?
I was turned away for giving blood back in 2004/2005 because "Royal Decree 1088/2005 of 16 September, establishes, for all Spain, an exclusion on donations from persons who resided within the UK for more than 12 months at any time in the period 1980-1996"
Presumably if I ate dodgy burgers, or whatever, I would have developed CJD by now. Does anyone know what the incubation period for CJD is and, if it's fewer than 25 years (2011 minus 1996) are the Spanish health Authorities re-considering our status?
#10
Re: Blood doning
It is all quite nonsensical as they had CJD here too, it's just that they were less open and honest about it than the UK.
#11
Re: Blood doning
My OH has had so many transfusions in the past 21 months that they tell him in the hospital that he is 100% Spanish on the inside and English on the outside.
Rosemary
Rosemary
#12
Re: Blood doning
That same law was the same in Italy as well and us Brits could not ever donate because of mad cow.
That rule was finally scrapped a year or so ago because more than 10 years has passed or something like that, but it is not common knowledge yet. It might be the same in Spain. Ask them to check properly.
I went into a proper blood donor centre and specifically asked for this info.
That rule was finally scrapped a year or so ago because more than 10 years has passed or something like that, but it is not common knowledge yet. It might be the same in Spain. Ask them to check properly.
I went into a proper blood donor centre and specifically asked for this info.
#14
Re: Blood doning
Do they ask Spanish people and other nationalities if they lived in/visited the UK at the relevant time
#15
Just Joined
Joined: Jan 2007
Location: seville province
Posts: 22
Re: Blood doning
Back in 2006/7 we registered when they came to the local town. Received our cards through the post and donated about three times. However on the last occasion when we went the Dr refused to allow us to donate and took away our cards. Having watched a good friend die from CJD anything that would prevent another person suffering in that way is fine with me.