Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers ( SERV )
Service by Emergency Rider Volunteers (SERV; www.serv.org.uk) was set up in 1981 to supply a rapid and reliable means of transporting Emergency blood, blood products, X-rays, patient notes and laboratory samples to hospitals and medical facilities at night. The National Blood Service (NBS) does not provide a standard delivery service between the hours of 7pm and 6am, at weekends and on national holidays. Hospitals can no longer afford the luxury of using taxis or couriers at night so SERV (bloodrunner) volunteers supply this service free of charge; SERV responds to approximately 2,000 calls per year saving the NBS on average £300,000.
This allows re-deployment of much-needed funds for improved patient care and other essential facilities within the NHS.
Volunteer bike riders work on a rota, generally working one night in fourteen, waiting to respond to emergency calls to collect and securely deliver life-saving blood and blood products using an insulated, NBS-approved bag. SERV volunteers generally use their own machines and pay for the petrol themselves. The use of a marked bike is also a possibility; for instance, following a series of fund raising events (and with the help of Devitts Insurance, P&H Motorcycles, Honda UK and The Sussex Masons), SERV Sussex has purchased a number of dedicated vehicles to facilitate secure deliveries (see picture). These vehicles are used for riders who can ensure cover any night of the week, when requested.
Riders are on stand-by in many areas across the country, including: Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Kent, Essex, Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Northants, Surrey, Sussex, Hampshire and London. The regions work in partnership to ensure an efficient system delivery network to get the blood to where it is needed as quickly as possible. When required, the hospital in question calls their local SERV controller using a dedicated, manned phone number, specifying their needs and the controller then dispatches their duty rider from his/her home. If this call-out involves crossing county lines (which it often does), the duty controller contacts the relevant controller for that area and organises a handover of the material at a designated time and point. The riders always follow a set route to reduce any delays or in case of any breakdowns.
In the current financial climate, the demands on the charity increase every year and there is a need to spread the service across the country. However, this is restricted by the ability of this valuable registered charity to fund and maintain this volunteer service. They need more rider volunteers in all counties and fund-raising support to secure the service for the future. For more information about the charity and the work of the SERV bloodrunners go to:
www.serv.org.uk