How donation works
BloodBridge puts people who need blood in touch with nearby donors, through a hospital that checks every donor first. Here is what happens, and who can give.
The steps
- Sign up as a donor and fill in your donor profile: blood group, date of birth, weight, contact details, where you live and any medical conditions.
- Choose a hospital to review it. Only that hospital can see your medical details. It approves your profile, or tells you why not so you can update it and send it again.
- Someone needs blood. A receiver posts a request with the blood group, number of units, urgency and location.
- The hospital finds you. It sees approved donors whose blood group is compatible, who are within 200 km, and who are allowed to give again, nearest first.
- You get an appointment. The hospital books a date and time; it shows on your dashboard. After you donate, the hospital records it and the request is marked fulfilled.
Who can donate
- 18+You must be at least 18 years old.
- 50 kgYou must weigh at least 50 kg.
- 56 daysWait at least 56 days (8 weeks) between whole-blood donations. If you gave exactly 56 days ago you can give today; until then you are not shown to hospitals.
- HealthTell us about medical conditions, medication, recent tattoos, piercings or surgery. The reviewing hospital decides; many conditions do not stop you donating.
The form warns you if you are under 18 or under 50 kg, but still lets you send it: the hospital makes the final decision.
Blood group compatibility
Red cells can only go to a compatible blood group. Hospitals only see donors who can give to the patient. O- donors can give to everyone; AB+ patients can receive from everyone.
| Patient / Donor | O- | O+ | A- | A+ | B- | B+ | AB- | AB+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O- | ✓ | · | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| O+ | ✓ | ✓ | · | · | · | · | · | · |
| A- | ✓ | · | ✓ | · | · | · | · | · |
| A+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | · | · | · | · |
| B- | ✓ | · | · | · | ✓ | · | · | · |
| B+ | ✓ | ✓ | · | · | ✓ | ✓ | · | · |
| AB- | ✓ | · | ✓ | · | ✓ | · | ✓ | · |
| AB+ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Source: the American Red Cross red cell compatibility chart. This covers whole blood and red cells; plasma and platelets follow different rules.
Questions
Who can see my medical details?
Only you and staff at the hospital you send your profile to. Other hospitals, receivers and other donors never see them; hospitals matching a request see your blood group, distance and contact details.
I was not approved. What now?
Your dashboard shows the hospital's reason. Update your profile when things change and save it: it goes back to the hospital for a new review.
I donated recently. Will I be contacted?
Not until 56 days have passed since your last donation. Your dashboard shows the date you can give again.
I need blood for someone. What do I do?
Sign up as a receiver and post a request. Hospitals see it straight away, most urgent first, and you can follow its status from your requests page.