Who can donate platelets?
By becoming a platelet donor you will join a community of active donors across England who save lives every day.
You may be able to donate platelets if you have the right blood type, a high enough platelet count, and have given blood before.
Can you donate platelets?
We'd like to hear from you if you:
- have A negative, A positive or AB negative blood
- have given blood or platelets before
- are aged between 17 and 70 (if you are over 70 and have donated blood or platelets within the last two years, you are still eligible)
- have enough blood to donate safely
- are able to regularly spare up to 2 hours to donate at least 4 times a year
- can travel to a donor centre
Who can't donate platelets?
There are some reasons why you can't donate platelets, even if you have given blood or platelets in the past.
Blood type
We are looking for people with these blood types to switch to donating platelets:
- A negative
- AB negative
- A positive
Platelets from donors with these blood types are safe to give to almost everyone and are constantly needed by hospitals.
Hospital demand may change in the future and we may need donors with other blood types to step forward.
If you have a different blood type you can still save and improve lives by giving blood or donating plasma.
You need to be, or have been, a blood donor before switching to platelet donation
What you should do next depends on whether you have donated before.
Once you make the switch to platelet donation, you cannot continue to give blood. If you want to return to giving blood at any point, you will need to stop donating platelets first.
Become a platelet donor
If you meet these criteria and would like to join us the next step is to arrange an assessment when you next give blood.
Donating is so easy and pain free. In fact I enjoy the peace and quiet.
Natalie started giving platelets after a friend died from bowel cancer