Blood donors in Liverpool are being asked to stick to their appointment this January at the newly opened temporary location at Suite A, The Capital Building, Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9PP.

The temporary donor centre in The Capital Building opened its doors on Thursday 7 January 2021 and has replaced the Moorfields centre, before it will eventually move to a new permanent site in the spring.

All appointments that have been booked in from January 7 onwards at the Moorfields venue have automatically been transferred over to the new venue in Old Hall Street, as the old venue has closed for good to coincide with the move.

The move will increase how many people can safely give blood at any one time, which had significantly reduced at the old venue due to social distancing guidelines and the size of the venue.

This means more people in Liverpool will be able to book an appointment to give blood and the NHS is urging anyone who has registered to make their first appointment in January. Extra appointments are being added for January to accommodate the bigger venue size.

Theresa Robinson, Liverpool clinical donor centre manager, said:

“All of our blood, platelets and plasma donors affected by this change have been contacted directly in advance to make sure they know about the new address when they attend for their next donation. Existing appointments from 7 January onwards have been moved to the new centre which is only a short walk away from the previous Moorfields location (1).

“Appointment dates and times will remain the same – the only difference will be the location.”

Giving blood is exempt from all covid-19 travel and national lockdown restrictions with appointments operating as normal.

This winter NHS Blood and Transplant needs donors who are fit and healthy to help keep blood stocks strong to support hospitals through a second wave of covid-19 as well as seasonal pressures.

The first two donors to give blood at the new temporary Liverpool donor centre were Laura Ortis Montane and Thomas Kelly.

Miss Montane, 32 from the Wirral, travelled to the Capital Building by bus and said:

“I didn’t know of the building before but found the centre easily with signage outside indicating the right place to go. The new centre is much brighter, more spacious, and clean. I felt safe donating during lockdown and was well looked after by staff.”

Laura gives blood as it was a family tradition started by her parents who were blood donors in her native Spain. She started donating in Spain aged 18, and after moving to the UK two years ago has continued this tradition.

Laura Ortis Montane donating

Laura said:

“People should donate if they can as it’s easier than you think, and I feel great afterwards knowing I’ve helped someone!”

Mr Kelly, 27 from St. Helens drove to the new donor centre and said:

“The new centre is clean and modern with plenty of nearby parking. The staff are always very attentive and friendly, and I’ve felt very safe while donating during lockdown.”

Thomas fits donating around working shifts and finds the donor centre an ideal place to give blood.

He said:

“I work as a biomedical scientist in the blood transfusion lab at a local hospital, so I know the importance of giving blood. It is a simple and easy thing to do to save lives.”

Similar to Laura, Thomas started giving blood to follow in the footsteps of his parents, who encouraged him to start donating when he was old enough.

Thomas Kelly donating

Extra safety measures are in place across all blood donation sessions. All donors are triaged with a temperature check on arrival. Hand gels and handwashing facilities are available, donors are spaced apart and staff are doing extra cleaning. Staff and donors must wear face coverings.

Donors are reminded to follow all relevant Government transport guidance when making a journey to give blood.

Hospitals need blood for routine operations, saving accident victims and treating patients with serious illnesses like cancer. Each donation can save or improve up to three lives.

Liverpool donor centre will be moving to a new permanent site in the spring and further details will be announced in due course.

Book appointments and check the latest guidance on Covid-19 and giving blood by calling 0300 123 23 23, downloading the NHS Give Blood app, or visiting the website here.

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