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# Communication difficulties - Whole blood and components

## Essential information

Obligatory

  All donors must:

  1. Fully understand the donation process.
  2. Give their informed consent to the process and to the testing of their blood for diseases that may affect its suitability for use.

## Supporting information

See if relevant
  - Central nervous system disease
  - Disabled donor
  - Neurobehavioral disorders
Additional information

  The UK Blood and Tissue Services are aware of their duties under the Equality Act and will, whenever and wherever reasonable, try to provide facilities for individuals whose first language is not English, or who have other difficulties in communicating. Potential donors with such difficulties are advised to seek advice from their local Blood and Tissue Service before attending a donor session to see if their needs can be met. It is however important to note the following.

  To comply with Part 2 of the Blood Safety and Quality Regulations 2005 (BSQR) every donor must:

  1. Be provided with accurate educational materials, which are written in terms which can be understood by members of the general public (Part A 1-13).
  2. Complete a health and medical history questionnaire and undergo a personal interview performed by a healthcare professional (defined in the BSQR as a doctor, a nurse or a donor carer) trained and qualified in the requirements of the BSQR (Part B 15).
  3. Provide written informed consent to proceed with the donation process which must be countersigned by the qualified healthcare professional responsible for obtaining the health history (Part B 16 (a) - (f)).

  A qualified healthcare professional may assist a donor in the completion of the health and medical history questionnaire and in understanding the consent statement and any other information provided by the Blood Service. To facilitate comprehension, it is permissible to use alternative formats (e.g. a language other than English, audio, computer, Braille) for the donor information leaflets, the health and medical history questionnaire and consent statements. The donor must be able to clearly demonstrate they have understood this material. At present, there is no standardised way of assessing comprehension so this will be a personal judgement made by the qualified healthcare professional.

  Guidance on the use of interpreters is presented in chapter 3 of the Guidelines for the Blood Transfusion and Tissue Transplantation Services in the UK (Red Book).

  To comply with both the BSQR and Health and Safety Regulations no donor can be accepted if it unnecessarily puts their own safety or the safety of others at risk.

Reason for change:
  The guidance on third party interpreters has been moved to Chapter 3 of the Red Book.
Version details:

  WB-DSG Edition 203 Release 77 (18 July 2025)

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