UK Blood Ban Lifted in Canary Islands

The Canarian Health Service has called for blood donors urgently, and has confirmed that it has lifted the ban on donors that applied to anyone who had spent six months in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1997.

Lack of blood reserves on the island has led to the postponement of 91 surgical operations in Canarian hospitals in 2025, and the situation has not been helped by a decrease in donations that is partly caused by the loss of 60 health workers due to restructuring of the health service.

As a result, the SCS is calling urgently for donations from donors belonging to all blood groups, and has announced that the longstanding ban on people who had spent time in the UK last century has been lifted.

This ban was introduced in the late-1990s throughout Europe, the USA and many other countries in response to cases of CreuzfeldtJacob disease, or “Mad Cow” disease in the UK. As the prions that carry the disease can remain in the body for several years, the ban remained in place for almost three decades.

It applied to anyone who had spent more than six months in the UK between the years of 1980 and 1997, including overseas visitors and vegetarians who may never have consumed meat-derived products during the relevant period.

Many British residents on the island who habitually gave blood in their native country have been disappointed to be unable to continue the practice in Spain, and it has also affected several people of other nationalities who studied or worked in the UK.

However, health authorities throughout Europe have recently been relaxing the ban, and the Canarian Health Service (SCS) confirmed in October that it no longer applied on the islands.

In the Canaries, blood donors must be between 18 to 65 years of age, weigh more than 50 kilograms, be in general good health and not be pregnant. The SCS has also clarified that those with tattoos can give blood as long as four months have passed since they were inked. You are permitted to give blood if you are taking certain medications, such as antibiotics, but other prescriptions should be declared and may not be acceptable. Blood donations are received at the Dr. José Molina Orosa Hospital in Arrecife. You can call 928 595 572 (option 3) to arrange an appointment or attend the Consultas Externas zone of the hospital yourself.