If the thought of giving blood turns on your red light with a vengeance,  spare a thought for the 5,000 people in the UK who are needing it every single day of the year. Yet despite this alarming statistic, only three per cent of the population are donors.

This week The Herald visited Pill Social Club in Milford Haven to meet up with local blood donors and members of the Welsh Blood Service to find out just how important giving blood  is.

“It’s wonderful to see people coming back to our centres, year upon year, continuing to give blood,” said Sharon Burgess, who is  the clinical lead for the Welsh Blood Service’s West team which stretches from Swansea to Carmarthenshire, Pembrokeshire and northwards to Aberystwyth.

“We even have people in their 80’s who are continuing to give blood which is quite remarkable, but it’s also very encouraging to see an increasing number of younger people coming forward to donate.”

Rod Williams (pictured top left), who is himself an employee with the Welsh Blood Service, has now reached his 67th blood donation.

“But I’m still lagging behind my best man, whose donations are now up in the 80s,” he joked. #

“I gave my very first donation when I was a 19-year-old student because the standing joke at the time was that if you gave blood, then you’d get drunk that much quicker when you reached the pub.”

And four decades on, Rod continues to give blood on a regular basis.

Waiting in the blood-giving queue was husband and wife duo Chris and Sue Hirdle who have both been donating for the past 20 years.

“It all started with me being in the army, so I didn’t have any option and had to give blood,” explained Chris.  “But when Sue kept seeing me going off to donate, she decided to start giving blood too.  And we’ve both carried on ever since.

“It’s such an easy thing to do, and everyone here at the Pill Social Club is so friendly, plus we get tea and biscuits when it’s all over.”

Once donors have registered, they are asked to complete a detailed medical questionnaire before being screened by the Welsh Blood Service team.  

“This is merely to find out whether any illnesses or health conditions prevent them from giving blood, such as having had a stroke or a heart attack in the past or a previous blood donation,” explained Sharon Burgess.

They are also given a finger-prick haemoglobin test to assess their iron content.  Once the team is happy, the donors can then give their blood, which usually totals 475 ml.

People can start giving blood at 17 years of age; men are allowed to give blood four times a year while women can give three times a year.  In addition to blood, donors between the age of 17 and 30 can also join the bone marrow registry for stem cell matches.

“It really is fantastic to see people giving of their time and donating blood but when you consider the very small percentage of the British population that donate, it’s important that more people come forward, particularly younger people,” concluded Sharon.

“We’ve started going around sixth form schools and colleges, trying to raise awareness because the more people that understand the good that they’re doing with their donations, the better.”

Further blood donation sessions will be taking place  at The Pavilion, Haverfordwest on May 8, Letterston Village Hall, May 19, Pattern Hall, Pembroke Dock, May 23 and Canolfan Hermon, May 28.  It’s advisable to book an appointment beforehand via the Welsh Blood Service website on  welshblood.org.uk

RNID report claims ‘systemic discrimination’ is putting lives at risk

A NEW report published this week (April 24) has accused NHS Wales of widespread failings in care for deaf people and those with hearing loss—failings that campaigners say are not only unlawful, but also putting lives at risk.

The report, titled Still Ignored: The Fight for Accessible Healthcare, was compiled by RNID, a leading charity supporting people who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. It highlights what the organisation describes as a “hidden scandal” affecting more than 300,000 adults across Wales.

Despite clear legal duties under the Equality Act 2010 and a decade-old policy framework—the All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication introduced in 2013—the report finds that deaf people are routinely denied the support they need when accessing NHS services.

Missed standards, missed care

Among the most alarming findings is that more than 7 in 10 (73%) deaf patients and those with hearing loss say they have never been asked about their communication needs in a healthcare setting. This is despite it being a basic requirement under equality law.

Almost 1 in 3 (30%) reported being unable to contact their GP in a way that works for them, such as using text or email instead of a phone. More than 2 in 3 (64%) had difficulty knowing when they were being called from a waiting room, and 42% struggled to communicate symptoms or concerns with staff.

In more serious consequences:

• 8% said they had avoided calling an ambulance or attending A&E due to communication barriers.
• 18% said a health condition worsened because of poor communication.
• 11% believe their health was directly put at risk.

Family as interpreters

More than half of deaf patients (56%) said they had to rely on family or friends to relay medical information, often without professional support. 1 in 4 were denied the communication assistance they asked for outright. RNID warns this not only risks miscommunication, but also strips patients of their right to dignity, privacy, and autonomy in healthcare.

The consequences can be devastating. Kate Boddy, a Child of a Deaf Adult (CODA) from Wales, acted as interpreter for her father, Richard Boddy, when he was diagnosed with cancer in 2022.

She told The Herald: “There’s so little out there in BSL. When Dad got his diagnosis, I had to suppress all my emotions just to translate for him. Even though we knew he was going to pass away, I don’t feel like I ever got to say goodbye.”

Mr Boddy died in November 2023, aged 70.

Staff awareness low

The RNID also surveyed NHS Wales staff and found significant gaps in training and understanding:

• Only 57% knew how to record a patient’s communication needs.
• Fewer than half (48%) knew how to flag those needs in online records.
• Just 17% of staff said they always feel able to meet the communication needs of deaf patients.

Dr Natasha Wilcock, a deaf doctor working in palliative care, said: “Deaf insight training should be compulsory. I’ve met patients who didn’t realise their cancer treatment had ended and that they were receiving end-of-life care. That level of misunderstanding is unacceptable.”

Calls for urgent action

Polly Winn, RNID’s External Affairs Manager in Wales, said: “It is not acceptable for people to leave medical appointments without understanding their diagnosis, or to be forced to share intimate health details with family because NHS Wales won’t provide interpreters.

“This is systematic discrimination—an equality failure that is putting lives at risk. The situation demands urgent reform.”

RNID is calling on the Welsh Government to:

• Reaffirm and enforce the All Wales Standards for Accessible Communication;
• Introduce robust oversight systems to monitor compliance;
• Mandate deaf awareness training for all NHS staff;
• Ensure people with lived experience help shape future reforms.

A spokesperson for NHS Wales said the organisation is reviewing the findings and remains committed to improving access for all patients.

The Welsh Government has not yet issued a response to the report.

THANKS to generous donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities – the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board – has purchased two new Electrocardiogram (ECG) machines worth over £14,000 for the Emergency Department at Withybush Hospital.

Chest pain is a very common presentation at the Emergency Department which sees between 100 and 130 patients a day. ECG machines provide key information on a patient’s heart by measuring rhythm and electrical activity.

The additional ECG machines will help ensure that patients presenting with chest pain receive an assessment as quickly as possible.

Senior Nurse Manager Josephine Dyer said: “We are so grateful that generous donations from our local community have enabled us to purchase the two ECG machines for the Emergency Department.

“High numbers of patients present with chest pain and require an ECG, so we hope that having the additional machines will reduce waiting times and offer an improved patient experience.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, said: “We are deeply thankful for the generous support from our local communities which allows us to offer services beyond what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda. Every donation we receive is greatly appreciated!”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk