Last Friday, 12th June our duty controller Helen took a call from Morriston Pathology Lab asking for us to courier some samples to Great Ormond Street Hospital the following Wednesday. Within a few minutes, Helen had contacted controllers of 2 other Blood Bikes groups, @Freewheelers EVS (SW England) and @Serv_SSL (Surrey and S London) to arrange a relay along the M4 from Wales to the centre of London.
On Wednesday 17th June the samples were collected, passed like a baton from rider to rider, and delivered to @GreatOrmondSt on time. The lab staff were ecstatic with this result. So much so, that they rang again the day after asking for an urgent sample to go to Birmingham, a request we were only too happy to assist with.
Bear in mind that all of this is possible because of volunteers in Blood Bike groups that span the length and breadth of the UK. Every one of them, controller, rider, fundraiser, committee member, or any of a dozen different roles give of their time freely to help others who they will never meet and who will never know they exist.
‘It’s what we do‘ is our motto. When what we do involves a child, what we do becomes all that more important to us.
The lab manager was unaware of our services and capabilities and that we were for free until advised by a colleague of our weekend services. Initial quotes for a private courier to Great Ormond Street same-day delivery was four figures. We cost our NHS nothing. This is why Blood Bikes exist.
If you work in the NHS and know of us, spread the word. We are ready and waiting to help.
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