This Plasma Donation Week, Brindleyplace is pleased to be supporting such an important activation that helps change the lives of thousands of people of all ages across the UK.
There is a growing need for the medicines made from plasma which are used to treat over 50 diseases. Every donor makes a huge difference to the 17,000 people who rely on medicines made from plasma, to save or improve their lives. It’s as easy as giving blood and takes around an hour.
Ahead of Plasma Donation Week, Matt Long, Senior Asset Manager for the estate visited the Plasma Donation Centre in central Birmingham to check out the facility and the donating process.
The state-of-the-art facility with 12 plasma donation chairs and very modern screening booths also includes free wifi and a donor snack station, to give people a pleasant experience when they visit (and meaning you can keep in touch with the office!)
There are only three plasma donation centres in England, including Birmingham, so it’s very important that NHS Blood and Transplant makes the town a hotspot for plasma donation. Over the last 12 months, the centre has collected close to 6,000 donations. However, it needs to collect around 11,350 donations over the next year to reach donation targets and boost NHS Blood and Transplants’ supplies.
Plasma is part of your blood. It is a yellow liquid which carries everything around the body. During donation, a machine gradually separates out up to 700mls of plasma from your blood. It is then made into lifesaving medicines which are used to treat more than 50 different diseases.
Most people aged 17 and 65 can donate and donation takes about 35 minutes and the whole visit – including questionnaires and snacks – takes around an hour.
Plasma contains proteins, which can be made into medicines which are used to treat wide range of serious diseases. The plasma from Birmingham’s donors will be made into two products; immunoglobulin and human albumin solution. More than 500 people in the County of the West Midlands receive plasma medicines each year.
We hope you will ‘save lives, give plasma’ this year!
