Blood Donation Bus – a new way to help
Blood donation is getting even easier! On 14 November 2023, the new Blood Donation Bus will bring the Blood Service closer to donors in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Come and try a new way of giving blood and helping patients!
See where the bus will stop
In November, we will mostly visit companies.
Please note that if you have not given blood before, you cannot donate at the Blood Donation Bus. However, you are welcome to come and see the donation process and give a blood sample so your blood group can be determined. Please make an appointment if you plan to do this.
How onboard donation works
- Book an appointment.
- Come to the bus when your appointment begins. Enter the bus via the back door.
- A nurse will interview you, and you can donate blood the same way as at any other donation point. If you have not donated blood before, the nurse will take blood samples and describe how the donation process works but will not take a blood donation from you.
- After you have donated blood, you can stay on the bus for a coffee and snack or take something to eat and drink away with you.
The Blood Donation Bus will tour the Helsinki metropolitan area. The main stops will be near shopping centres with dedicated car parks. Many of the places are also easy to access by public transport and have parking spaces nearby for donors. However, this cannot be guaranteed at every blood donation point.
The Blood Donation Bus is not an accessible vehicle
Unfortunately, the Blood Donation Bus is not an accessible vehicle. The entrance to the bus is via a narrow set of steps, and the interior is compact. As it is not an accessible space, wheelchair users cannot give blood on the bus.
The separate interview area for blood donors only has enough space for the donor and the nurse. Donors who need a sign language interpreter, an assistant for the visually impaired, a guide dog or any other assistant cannot give blood on the bus. These donors are welcome to give blood at our other blood donation points.
The space is limited, so blood donors cannot be accompanied by friends, family members or children while giving blood on the bus. If you would like to give blood on the bus with a friend, please make appointments for both people.
Frequently asked questions about the Blood Donation Bus
Why will the bus only operate in the Helsinki metropolitan area?
This is Finland’s first large-scale trial of blood donation on a bus. We are starting with a pilot project in the Helsinki metropolitan area because the number of daily donations on the bus is quite small. The Blood Donation Bus will work in addition to the mobile Blood Service donation events in Southern Finland.
Why can’t first-time donors give blood on the Blood Donation Bus?
The Blood Donation Bus is a new operating environment, and the new operations are being trialled with people who have given blood before. Donating blood the first time typically takes longer than subsequent donations, so first-time donation is not an option in the initial phase of the pilot project.
How can privacy and data protection be assured in such a small space?
Separate interview spaces have been built on the bus to enable private conversations with nurses. There will also be background noise from speakers on the bus.
Does the Blood Donation Bus have a toilet?
The Blood Donation Bus does not have a public toilet. We will try to plan blood donations on the bus in places where toilets are available nearby (such as near a shopping centre).
Can I suggest a stop for the Blood Donation Bus?
We will test various donation sites in the trial phase and develop the bus timetable accordingly. We welcome suggestions for new donation sites.
Blood donation on the bus is particularly suitable for workplaces and educational institutions that have a large enough parking area with a flat surface to accommodate the Blood Donation Bus, which is 15 metres long.