Talkback: The Blood Runners - Emergency Riders

i read this....

thought it was a fantasic idea and wanted to volunteer.......

but the serivce doesnt operate in wales....DOH!

Hi Evil Ken!

There has been interest in a South Wales group and we actively encourage and assist new start-up groups. if you send me your details, I'll add them to our "out-of-area" database and if anything happens in your area, we'll let you know.

Cheers

Danny Bateman

publicity <at> servobn . org . uk

Two major inaccuracies...The blood is NOT collected from A&E..it is collected from the National Blood Service in a completely different part of the John Radcliffe...also,unauthorised people ie couriers etc would not be taking blood to operating theatres,it SHOULD in all cases be handed over to reception or haematology/pathology staff,depending on the hospital,whatever the emergency. Also,please note that the National Blood Service has its own highly trained drivers on site at all times who can obviously due to this fact alone,get blood to its destination quicker than a Serv rider (particularly in an emergency situation using Blood Service Blue Light vehicles)

You don't happen to work with NBS by any chance Sonia?

Seems like a good way for wannabes to get points on your licence. 

 If it was true emergency blood the BTS would transport it themselves in one of their blue light vans.

I have ridden with SERV for a number of years and still have a very clean licence. 

The role of SERV is to support the hospitals in maintaining safe levels of blood stocks and products in order to prevent emergency situations occurring.

I have ridden with deliveries for patients in theatre and have been told many times that the SERV delivery was as quick as any blue light service provided by NBS.  However, volunteering is not for 'wannabes', as it requires a great deal of dedication and commitment.

The NHSBT do supply the blood products (and do a great job), but, they also charge the hospitals for the service of delivery.  We are able to save the hospitals that cost.

Great article, although, as stated, the run was not a 'normal' delivery.  The boxes are usually delivered to the Pathology department, as mentioned by Sonia.  

Apart from the dispensation to treat red lights as 'give way' signs, riding on blue lights wouldn't help a motorcyclist much.  Most drivers react too late or panic, by which time the bike has passed.  

SERV is just one of the many volunteer services around the country assisting the NHS in this way.  I salute them all.

ive been riding with SERV surrey and south london for just over a year, im 20 and i have no points and never been stopped.

 i do it because  i get a felling like nothing else when riding home thinking i've helped save somebody's life.  

i plan to be a long SERVing member.  

Unfortunately not in Scotland either

There has recently been a group setup in Wales. It's early days yet but check out the link for more info...

www.bloodbikeswales.org.uk

When are regurgitated articles from Visordown mag days going to stop appearing as new items on the website?

As a once avid reader of the magazine, it's bloomin annoying to find old articles passing as new ones online!

There's hardly ever any new content any more... how come the comments for this article date back to 2010 but the article has a "supposed" published date of yesterday????

PS While I'm having a moan, whatever happened to MF's Ducati Pantah rebuild for example... this was covered in the last few months of the mag but I've not seen any mention of it online since the mag went for a burton?

There was an article about SERV Surrey a while back in a local magazine. As an IAM rider I thought Id like to get involved. I emailed and telephoned and left messages but never got a reply. I figure that "always looking for volunteers" means in certain areas only?

If not, the application process requires persistance?

Try Surrey's facebook page - someone must have a contact there!

http://www.facebook.com/SERVSurreySouthLondon

ScotsERVS - Are the Scottish Equivalent of Servs, have a look at there website www.scotservs.org.uk

When the blood / blood products is snatched out of your hand and rushed straight into theatre you can be certain it is indeed emergency blood!!

I have been a controller for SERV Kent for just over a year now and i've never enjoyed something as much as i do this. Such an amazing team to be involved with :)

AND Old and Slow, my dad is one of the very dedicated riders and has undertaken extensive blue light training meaning if needed he can get the blood to any hospital just as quickly as any nbs blue light van and for FREE!!

BTS don't work out of hours, SERV exsists to provide a real emergency service out of hours for the NHS free of charge. Hospitals would have to pay taxi's / couriers to provide this service without SERV, a lot more expensive and a darn sight slower.

I agree with Liz I have been on blue light runs with her dad Arthur an excellent bike rider, and yes to some of you that do not know we do deal with real emergencies I have had a sister/nurse waiting for the blood/platelets at the door of the hospital. Serv has changed a lot over the last few years and has become more professional with first class members Riders/Drivers, and our night controllers are the back bone of Serv they do fantastic job at all unearthly hours

The myth of how SERV started is not a myth it was indeed created in surrey after the biker was told it would take atleast 2hr for blood to arrive from tooting. He thought and decided he could get it quicker with the hospitals permission he did the run. Afterwards with much discussion with the hospital in regards to would they use a service if he created one to transport the blood in emergency they said yes and SERV was born. For names and dates you should talk to a original surrey member after surrey came Kent. Then sussex followed by hampshire which unfortunately folded due to problems but I see now its back with a vengence plus more counties too. I was involved with the setting up of Kent serv I have the greatest respect for ALL the members who selflessly give time and effort to save lives and they do it with very little regard for reward except knowing they did their bit and saved a life. I remember a collection held at Asda sittingbourne where a lady with a young baby was about to go in for shopping saw our bikes and information screens smiled and told one of our collectors to hold out his hands were upon she tipped out her purse with the words I been trying to say thankyou to you people but have never been able to find you. Because of you my baby here is alive today. When asked how she knew it was us. She replied the ward sister came in and said don't worry the bloodrunners are on their way.
Another collection a young girl ran up put her pocket money in the tin and with tears in her eyes said thankyou you people help keep my sister alive for longer when she had cancer unfortunately she lost the battle but because of serv transporting the platelettes when needed reliably and quickly she lived a bit longer and it was that reason she thanked us. So the service is a life saver and by attending collections you sometimes get to meet someone who wants to say thankyou. Keep on riding SERV and may you go another 30+ years. Oh sorry for the rambling I get carried away

I am now setting up NWBB Merseyside and have read the above posts with absolute joy and a great deal of concern. Joy in the knowledge that we have the services which we all need at a drop of a hat and further that the costs incurred in transporting blood and other items in an emergency without bothering the likes of the ambulance or police service meaning they can concentrate on the things they are meant to be doing, saving lives and upholding the law.

In a difficult economic climate that we have with recessionary times meaning that public services will be stretched the NHS will need to control monies a little more than they do at present. If this service which is operated for free helps balance the budget why is anyone complaining. The public at large through charitable donations help keep the service operating, if the government had the task of setting this up, with the officialism and red tape that would be required to overcome, the costs would far exceed what it costs now and the only victim of that would be the public in taxes, so bring this one.

Hi,I have now been working for the NHSBT Hospital Services for over 15 years and actually deal with Blue light situations and Major incidents and Adhoc deliveries. The National Blood Service DO provide Blue Light Cover for out of Hours for Emergencies and Major Incidents at our Hospitals as that Driver is on Site at the JR ready to jump in the Blue light Car and on the way in matter of minutes! a Service SERV do not Provide as they are NOT allowed to use Blue Lights and mainly deal with Adhoc Deliveries and Non urgent Adhocs just as Couriers do and take around half and hour to a hour to get to the John Radcliffe and then onwards to the relevant Hospitial so that NHSBT Blue light Drivers can Provide Blue Light Cover 24/7 as well as doing other adhocs..I do like Serv and Because they are Good at what they do and are Friendly and Provide a great Service when they arrive at the John Radcliffe Oxford to Collect our Non urgent Deliveries. But Please NHSBT Blue Light Drivers do a Fantastic Job too! Happy New Year to you all
Mark

Nice to hear some positive comments about Serv from someone who works for the NHSBT. To many of them think we are taking their jobs.