I recently made a whole blood donation at the NHS Blood and Transplant Centre in the grounds of Derriford Hospital, and felt the need to express just how easy it is.

There is a dedicated car park for blood donors, so you don’t need to worry about parking. If you do have to go into a token-operated car park, then they pay for your parking.

They run an appointment system in the same way as they used to at their mobile units, so you don’t need to worry about hanging around.

Wednesday is their dedicated day for whole blood donations only. The other days of the week they take platelet donations, with a couple of beds kept for whole blood donors.

Yes it takes time out of your day and you need to be a driver or get a lift. But it’s only every 16 weeks, for women, and 12 weeks, for men, and it is such a valuable thing to do for our NHS, don’t you think?

I like to think I’m ‘paying it forward’, so that in the event that I ever need blood – fingers crossed that I don’t – someone will be doing the same thing for me.

So, until such time as the powers-that-be realise that they’ve made an error in cancelling our local mobile units, why not give it a try?

I’ve made my next appointment there, which will be my 100th donation.

Ann Cox

Saffron Park, Kingsbridge