Hopefully there are some blood donors among glocals. I gave blood at my home country and would like to continue it here.

Does anyone has experience and comment if one can manage filling all the forms and having the health interview in english?

depending from the country you come from, there some problems. I've read on another forum that people coming from the UK were refused to give their blood.

Last year, Blood bank need more blood and I believe it's the same this year.

So I can only agree with Misskate, if you can, give your blood. thanks for those who will need it  :)

So we went and gave blood yesterday with Misskate. The fact that I don't speak French was not really a problem as they had the questionnaire in English and also both the doctor and nurse taking blood spoke English. They were nice and friendly and I had a good experience. So I can encourage everyone to take an hour of your time and do some good. 

It would be good to know definitively if people who have lived in the UK can give blood in Switzerland. I have an uncommon blood type and used to give regulary before I came here in 2000.

When I arrived in Geneva, I enquired if it would be possible and was told by a Swiss doctor that 'anyone living in the UK in 1994 couldn't as they probably had CJD'!

Can anyone give an answer on this as I would like to donate.

Thanks

Just checked the link Misskate posted. Apparently if you lived in Great Britain between the 1980s and 1996 you can't donate in Switzerland.

(Shame as I here the  1969 A- was a great vintage! )

Anyone else reading this who can donate please consider doing it.

So what happens if you are Swiss and, God forbid, need a blood transfusion in the UK

I give blood in England when I visit and did live there in the 80's then moved to Moscow, a result of which was that some authorities in UK took my blood and some refused.  As you can guess am not too impressed with reasons for not taking blood.

If they would accept Engélish blood we might be able to find out if we have mad cow disease

Good question Paul. Maybe if they accepted 'tainted' British blood then their health insurance policies would be cancelled permanently.

I wish I could remember the doctor's name who gently broke the news to me (all I remember was his surgery was on route de Malagnou near Chemin Rieu). I went to his surgery the second time after he'd taken blood test etc, the first time  and was greeted with, "Ah! You're going to die my friend!" with a big shit-eating grin plastered on his face.

"Sorry?"

"You're going to die in eight years! I've just been to a symposium about UK mad cow disease and you're be dead in eight years."

That was 12 years ago and given that attitude, I'd be tempted to say, "F--k it!" about giving blood but I believe it is just too important not to. So, if you had read this and haven't lived in or changed planes once in the UK in the last 50 years then please give blood. Hopefully the Swiss will accept it.

just mail in your blood anonymously ...