A hot cup of tea may soothe sweat and tears but it is no longer on offer to Scots who give blood.
The NHS in Scotland is scrapping the practice of providing a hot drink to donors after collecting their blood, saying it will reduce its environmental footprint by cutting the use of polystyrene cups.
Steaming beverages can also increase the chance of first-time donors fainting, according to the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service, which runs blood donor centres. For this reason they have long reserved teas and coffees for those who have donated more than once.
Now, with volunteers increasingly questioning the non-recyclable cups, mini milk pots and spoons they see when they give blood, the service has decided to do away with a