Blood donation process


When donating blood, the standard donation is approximately 450 mL, slightly less than half a litre or two cups. This represents a small portion of the blood in a person’s body, as the average adult has about 5 litres. The entire process takes just over an hour.  

We are constantly making efforts to improve our donor experience. Keep visiting our website for the most the up-to-date information. For a quick overview of our donation process, watch our video below. 

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On the day of your donation


Arrive at our donor centre to a friendly welcome from our staff. They'll greet you, do a quick identification check and direct you to the first station in the process. 
 
You will start to see the new check-in kiosk when you come in to donate. 

Don’t forget to have your water and salty snack.

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Complete our donor questionnaire


Read our brochure containing important information about blood donation and our Privacy Notice to Blood Donors, prior to completing your donor questionnaire. Learn more about the privacy notice.

You’ll complete our donor questionnaire on a touchscreen, answering the donation questions on a tablet! It's completely confidential and there to protect you and the person who receives your blood. 
 
You’ll be able to skip this step if you have a blood donor ID number, an appointment booked and your email address on file – then we can send the online questionnaire in advance.  

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Review and confirm


A trained staff member will go over your questionnaire answers with you and ask some additional questions to confirm that you are good to donate. 

They'll give you a 'finger prick' test to check your level of hemoglobin (a protein which contains iron).