A Brush with Bureaucracy

Yesterday I went to give blood. I am a regular donor and front up every three months. It's pretty straight forward - answer some questions, do an interview, have your iron level and blood pressure checked, then have a needle put into your arm and have 45o ml of the red stuff removed. I've done it more than 50 times. But I got knocked back yesterday and I am still annoyed about what happened.

Let's go back a little. In September I had a skin lesion removed. It was a squamous cell carcinoma, quite minor, but on the lower leg. I was warned it would take a long time to heal completely and it has. It is still not completely healed, but it is almost there. My GP advised me to keep it covered, so I do.

When I went to give blood in October I took along the pathology report which said the excision was successful, edges were clean etc. The nurse who interviewed me read the report and O.K'd the donation. I was not questioned about whether the wound was completely healed.

Yesterday I got a newbie. It was her first day with the Blood Service. She fumbled with the computer, losing information time and again. Then we tackled the questionnaire. I said I had been to the doctor since my last donation and explained it was to check on the wound healing. She wanted to look at it, but when she saw it had a dressing on it it was panic stations. She went to find a supervisor who instructed her to look up the guidelines. The guidelines state an excised carcinoma must have clean edges and the wound be completely healed before blood can be taken. Fair enough, but I had given blood three months before with absolutely no ill effects. The nurse who had accepted that donation was the supervisor. She was apologetic, said she had made an error then, but that the guidelines had to be followed and I could not give blood on this occasion. So I left, but as a further aggravation I had to sign the questionnaire that I agreed to give blood, when I was not actually permitted to do so. I thought that this was the pits and an awful example of following bureaucratic rules to the nth degree.

I hope I never get a beginner again. Kev says I am over-reacting, but I am still seething.