DONATING blood went from being a pain to a pleasure at the opening of the newly-refurbished Oxford Donor Centre.

Based at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Headington, the centre is a permanent place where people can donate their blood.

It reopened on Tuesday after a three-month renovation saw the installation of new toilets, a new screening area and a dedicated donation area so there is a clearer path for blood donors.

Free wi-fi, flat screen televisions and new lighting have also been installed and there is a brighter colour scheme.

Veteran blood donor Maurice Earp, 61, has given blood more than 900 times over the past 40 years.

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The Sandford on Thames resident met other donors and those who had received blood.

Among them was Elise Sykes, whose life was saved after receiving 28 units of blood.

Mrs Sykes, whose husband Adam is an orthopaedic surgeon at the hospital, relied on the blood after needing an emergency caesarean section when giving birth to her son Harrison.

The 29-year-old gave birth to Harrison, now three, at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury in December 2011.

She said: “I needed an emergency caesarean section, as my uterus failed to contract.

“In order to stop the bleeding I needed a hysterectomy and 28 units of blood products, which is nearly four times the amount in my body.

“Without blood donors I wouldn’t be here today and Harrison wouldn’t have his mother.”

The Radnage, Buckinghamshire, resident said: “I cannot express how very grateful I am for blood donors. Their selfless dedication is inspirational.

“Many doctors, nurses and midwives saved my life that day, but none of them would have been able to do their jobs without the generosity of those who donate blood.

“It was blood donors that kept me alive that day.”

Mr Earp said: “It was great hearing Elise’s story. Although you never know whose life you could save, hearing stories like Elise’s makes me very humble and reminds me why I do it.”

The changes came after the nearby Therapeutic Apheresis Services moved to another part of the hospital, allowing room for an expansion.

Run by NHS Blood and Transplant, the centre has more than 700 regular donors and called for more people to sign up over the Easter holiday. Hospital bosses were unable to say how much the facilities had cost.Centre manager Gayle Franklin said: “We have some very loyal blood and platelet donors at the Oxford Donor Centre and we want to ensure that every time they come here they have the best experience possible.

“We would like to thank all our blood donors for helping us to keep blood stocks at a healthy level in the past few months.

“We really appreciate their dedication to blood donation.However, as the need for blood never stops, I urge both new and returning donors to make a date to donate.”