The Christie Charity
As part of your treatment here at The Christie, you may require a transfusion of red blood cells or platelets.
What happens during a transfusion?
Before you visit The Christie for a transfusion, we will inform you of the date and time and which clinical area to attend.
On the day of transfusion, you should book in at the clinical area you have been asked to attend. Red blood cell transfusions take anywhere between 2 and 3.5 hours, and platelet transfusions around 30 minutes to receive per transfusion. However, you may be here significantly longer so please be prepared.
If you would like a relative or friend to stay with you during your transfusion, please contact the clinical area beforehand as we will not normally allow them to stay during your transfusion.
Receiving a transfusion comes with the risk of developing side effects. The nursing staff on the clinical area will monitor you for any adverse reactions.
You can read further information about receiving a transfusion in the NHS Blood and Transplant patient information.
This video, produced by the transfusion team at The Christie and NHS Blood and Transplant, provides an overview of the process that will occur when you attend for a transfusion.