North West Blood Bikes

Commissioner donates Blood Bike to charity

A former police motorbike is set to take on a life-saving role thanks to Lancashire’s Police and Crime Commissioner. Clive Grunshaw has donated the bike to the North West Blood Bikes Lancs and Lakes (NWBB L&L), meaning it will now be used by volunteers delivering vital blood supplies to hospitals across the region. The charity only began its work in May 2012 but already its dedicated army of volunteers have made 2,500 runs, saving the NHS in excess of £100,000 – and this new bike will help the group make even more life-saving deliveries. The Commissioner, who officially handed the bike to NWBB L&L chairman Paul Brooks at Lancashire Constabulary HQ today (November 15), said: “I am delighted to have been able to make this donation to NWBB L&L. “The charity’s work is both vital and impressive – and is making a real difference in hospitals across Lancashire. The generosity of their volunteers is to be commended, and I am sure their time and effort is appreciated by both the NHS and the hundreds of residents across Lancashire whose lives they have helped save. “I hope by donating this bike NWBB L&L will be able to make even more life-saving deliveries to Lancashire’s hospitals.” Before NWBB L&L was formed, hospitals used to use taxis and courier services to provide them with out-of-hours emergency transport for supplies including blood and breast milk for premature and sick babies from the Milk Bank at the Countess of Chester Hospital. It would cost in excess of £100 for hospitals to have milk deliveries and around £40 for blood to be transported – money which can now be spent on patient care. Mr Brooks said: “The donation by Lancashire Police and Crime Commissioner of a retiring police bike will help us enormously in our quest to save hospitals money. “We have liveried bikes equipped with blues & two’s in order to carry out Lifesaving Emergency collection and deliveries, particularly for whole blood, platelets and drugs, and with assistance from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), all our riders are trained in the handling and carriage of all the items we carry.” The charity has over 200 volunteers and uses both liveried bikes as well as volunteers’ personal vehicles to make deliveries. NWBB L&L currently serves Lancashire Teaching Hospitals (Preston, Chorley, Southport & Ormskirk), Morecambe Bay Hospitals, (Lancaster, Kendal & Barrow) and Blackpool, is about to go live with Writington, Wigan and Leigh and with East Lancashire Hospitals (Blackburn and Burnley). Volunteer motorcyclist, controllers, fundraisers and sponsors can contact the organisation via www.nwbb-lancs.org.