We want to be open and honest about anything and everything you may encounter during your donation journey. So, if after reading all the sections above you any further questions please let your coordinator know. You will be able to find their information in emails we have sent you.

We work standard office hours Monday - Friday, 9am - 5pm. Your coordinator will contact you during these times via email or phone. If we need to contact you urgently we may also text you.

During the donation process you will be asked a lot of questions about sex and relationships. We have put together some information from our Medical team about what we ask, the reasons we ask certain questions, and testing which is done throughout the process. You can read more FAQs on our information for donors about sex and relationships page.

Please read our information for transgender donors page. This will help answer any questions you may have about what to expect during the donation process, and how this may impact you.

It’s possible that some religious practices (e.g. fasting) or social conceptions (e.g. a mistrust of medical procedures) may prevent you donating your stem cells, or affect your ability to donate. Please discuss with your coordinator any concerns so they are able to support you.

Donating is a selfless thing to sign up to do, and there are likely to be periods of uncertainty and possible stress for you to manage. Have a think about your coping strategies in stressful situations, and what the best ways for us to help you might be. It's important to take into consideration that if you are donating to a patient, plans could be postponed or cancelled last minute, this can be due to patients reasons or reasons following on from your medical. On average around 35% of donations are postponed and cancelled. It can be frustrating as it is not always possible to stick to an agreed schedule however we are here to support you throughout this process.

If you are very active, depending on the way you to donate it might take you a few weeks to return to your pre-donation fitness level . You may also be asked to avoid certain activities for a week or two after your donation, such as contact sports. Please consider if you have a race or competition planned in the weeks following or prior to your donation .

If your employer is unable to provide the time off paid, we do cover loss of earnings which can be paid directly to yourself or your employer depending on the scenario. If you are self employed we can still cover loss of earnings.

We cover food and drink expenses for yourself and your companion for medical and donation appointments, as well as any travel days.

Your coordinator will book any required travel such as trains or flights for yourself and your companion, as well as hotels for the donation. There may be some instances where you will need to pay for some travel or things such as parking, but these can be reimbursed. We do not cover fines or penalty notices and are unable to reimburse alcohol.

You’ll need to consider that donating may require time off to travel, donate, and attend medicals, as well as any recovery time. It is important that your employer, or place of study are aware that things may change last minute and you may require additional time off.

We can provide a letter for your employer or place of study as confirmation of what we are asking you to do.

You may also have exams, work projects, or important deadlines coming up. Please take these into consideration when discussing your donation. Your coordinator will work with you and the patients centre, or client if you are donating for research, to get a schedule that works around your commitments where possible.

You can find out more about this from your coordinator.

You may have children or other people relying on you, like a parent or grandparent. If so, make sure you can arrange for someone to step in for you while you attend medicals, donate, and recover after donation. Please note children (under 18) are not permitted to attend collection centres where companions are allowed. If you have any questions or concerns please discuss with your coordinator.

Your mental wellbeing is really important to consider throughout the donation process. For some donors – particularly those donating for personal reasons or who have had previous stressful life experiences - the process might bring up difficult emotions or memories. If you think you might find it challenging at any point, please inform your coordinator so we can support you. A psychologist is also available if you’d like to speak to someone.

Many of our donors have pre-existing or experience mental health issues such as anxiety, or low mood, or may experience neurodevelopmental conditions such as ADHD. These do not necessarily preclude you from donating but it is important that your coordinator is aware of them so they can both support you and put additional help in place if necessary for you. We may ask you about any recent medication or health changes. This is to ensure that your mental health is stable before proceeding.

While we do everything we can to plan ahead, changes or cancellations can sometimes occur at short notice due to the recipient’s condition. Sometimes changes in the process could be donor related, such as repeat or additional testing following your medical. This can be something like a repeat urine sample or some more blood tests.  This unpredictability can be particularly difficult for those with mental health concerns. We encourage you to think about how you might respond to unexpected changes and to discuss any concerns with your coordinator.