What happens to donated blood?

Watch the journey of blood

The journey of blood

Before your life-saving donation reaches people in need, it goes through a complex process to ensure we maintain one of the safest blood supplies in the world. Watch this video for an overview.

Follow your blood on its journey

illustration of a van with a blood drop symbol on the side of it

1) First, it's tested

Your donation is carefully packed and sent from the donor centre to a processing centre — there are four across Australia. In the processing centre, we test your blood so we know it’s safe for a patient.

Learn how blood is tested

illustration of three test tubes containing blood

2) Then, processed

If tests come back negative, we put it in a centrifuge. This spins the blood really fast until it separates into red blood cells, plasma, and something called a ‘buffy coat’ (white blood cells and platelets).

Making blood components

3) Then, sent to hospitals

Once your donation is separated, it’s put into a press. This squashes the red cells into one new bag and the plasma into another, leaving the buffy coat in the original bag. Your blood components are sent out to where they’re needed most, saving up to three lives.

View patient stories

How your blood makes a difference

After you donate, we’ll send you a text message to let you know which hospital your blood donation goes to. Until then, discover more ways you can change lives by donating your blood.

Know the power of plasma

The power of plasma

Curious about how this special part of your blood takes a slightly different journey? Watch this video for an overview, and discover how plasma is a game-changer when it comes to donating blood.