About bloody time
Spain's huge population of British residents who were affected by the 'mad cow' disease ban should now be able to give blood, as well as Spaniards and those of other nationalities who lived in the UK during the period in question, as long as other requirements are met t
Rachel Haynes
Malaga
Friday, 21 November 2025, 10:57
British people resident in Spain are often criticised for not integrating and taking part in their local wider community. We should, they tell us, go to events, join associations and take part in everything from street parties to demonstrations and local elections. However there is one expression of community spirit to which the Brits have been told "no thank you" when they turn up to help: giving blood.
Many of us will remember the 'mad cow disease' crisis of the eighties and nineties. A quick search on Wikipedia tells me that over four million head of cattle were slaughtered and 178 people died after contracting Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD) through eating infected beef.
This led many countries to ban the export of British beef and to ban anyone who had lived in the UK for a year between 1980 and 1996 from giving blood. That's tens of thousands of residents in Malaga province alone, then, many of them regular blood donors in the UK, who have been unable to make this contribution to their adopted home.
The human variant of 'mad cow disease', vCJD, has a long incubation period which is what has led the health authorities to maintain the ban for so long. Now, however, the Spanish government has decided to change its regulations which ought to make a difference to blood reserves on the Costa del Sol.
This area's huge population of British residents who were affected by the ban should now be able to give blood, as well as Spaniards and those of other nationalities who lived in the UK during the period in question, as long as other requirements are met.
The demand for blood at the Costa del Sol's hospitals cannot be directly related to the population figures, due to the thousands of tourists in the area at any one time. Unfortunately, these tourists have accidents, just as residents do, and receive the emergency care they need.
Blood reserves are not as high as the health authorities would like them to be at the moment and new British donors could make an important difference.
Wherever I go, if a conversation moves towards giving blood, reactions are very similar. Those who are regular blood donors are extremely proud of the fact and if they have proof - like the little cards with dates on you used to get in the UK - they will go to great lengths to find them and show them. Others who have occasionally given blood say that they really must go again (and hopefully do), while those who don't give blood are quick to explain why.
The blood donor service, as well as having its fixed centre in Malaga city (at the Hospital Civil) is continually moving around the province of Malaga and so it will be in a town or village near us all at some point over the next few weeks.
It's been a long time but now at long last we have the perfect opportunity to give something more back to the community we live in.
