Frequency of donation - Whole blood and components

Essential information

Discretionary

1. Whole blood:

A minimum interval of 12 weeks between donations should normally be observed.

Donors who regularly attend at intervals of less than 16 weeks should be informed that they are at increased risk of iron deficiency. They should be advised to reduce their frequency of donation to an average of 16 weeks or more.

Donors with genetic haemochromatosis may donate at intervals of less than 12 weeks.

2. Components:

2a. Double red cells:

A minimum interval of 26 weeks between donations should normally be observed.

Donors who attend at intervals of less than 32 weeks should be informed that they are at increased risk of iron deficiency. They should be advised to reduce their frequency of donation to an average of 32 weeks or more.

Donors with genetic haemochromatosis may donate at intervals of less than 26 weeks.

2b. Apheresis platelets and/or plasma:

A minimum interval of 2 weeks between donations should normally be observed. The combined total of platelet and plasma donations in any 12-month period should not be more than 26.

Donors of convalescent plasma can donate at weekly intervals, provided they meet all other requirements for plasma donation. They should not donate more than 26 donations in any 12-month period.

Donors who attend at intervals of less than 4 weeks may be at increased risk of iron deficiency.

2c. Stem cell donor:

A donor should not give any routine donations for 6 months following bone marrow harvest and for 3 months following peripheral blood stem cell harvest or lymphocyte donation.

2d. Donors who change donation type:

Care must be taken to ensure that limits on the frequency of donation are maintained for donors who move between donation types.

The following deferral periods should be applied when donor move:

From whole blood to component donation:
(except double red cells)

• 4 weeks

From platelet or plasma component to whole blood donation:

• 4 weeks since last component donation (and at least 12 weeks since the most recent whole blood donation)

From whole blood to double red cell donation:

• 12 weeks

From double red cell to other component donation:

• 8 weeks

Supporting information

Additional information

The various intervals are to minimise the risk of developing iron deficiency, except for the deferral periods following stem cell or lymphocyte donation, which are in place to allow the donor to be available for further stem cell or lymphocyte donations should this be required.

Stem cells and lymphocytes are collected by apheresis.

Reason for change:

The deferral periods after bone marrow or stem cell donation have been reduced in keeping with WMDA guidelines.

Version details:

WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 68 (09 May 2023)