Rising fuel costs: Emergency blood couriers warn of service cut backs as pump prices rocket

  • Watch a report by Sophie Wiggins

Emergency motorbike couriers who deliver blood supplies between hospitals and hospices say the cost of fuel is putting their life-saving work at risk.

"We need help from the Government to get the cost of fuel for our riders to a much lower level," said Ian Hunt, Chairman of SERV Herts & Beds Bloodbikes.

The service the charity provides means more on-site care can be given, taking the pressure off hospitals and making treatment easier for patients with incurable conditions.

The volunteers cover the cost of fuel themselves, but now some are being forced to take on fewer jobs because of price pressure at the pumps.

Volunteers couriers for Bloodbikes cover the cost of fuel themselves. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Mr Hunt said: "We want keep the 120 volunteers that we've got, and we want to make it possible for them to continue to do that service, It's become a service that the NHS depend upon, and places like Keech hospice depend upon."

"We have to maintain that service, we cannot let it go and I think it's very dependent right now on our membership doing it and taking much of the cost." he added.

Leukemia patient Robert Wenn having his blood taken at Keech hospice, Luton. Credit: ITV News Anglia

Robert Wenn gets his blood tested every month at Keech Hospice, Luton, ever since he was diagnosed with leukemia two years ago.

"It's comfortable surroundings " he said.

"Up the hospital, if you go to Luton and Dunstable it's getting so big now. I'd say somebody like me, I get tired if I have to walk too far and it is quite a lot of walking up there."

Demand for the service continues to rise, at Keech hospice there were 200 requests in 2019 then in 2021 it almost tripled to 568.

Julia Matthews is a Palliative care clinical nurse specialist at Keech hospice.

"We know that we want all of our patients to live well with their incurable illnesses for as long as possible, and we aim to support them." she said.

"By being able to provide this service it means that they have a better quality of life, they can spend less time attending medical appointments.

It's vital that we're able to rely on volunteer organisations like SERV to facilitate that otherwise this service wouldn't be able to run as it is currently."

Bloodbike volunteer Ignatius Keaney said: "In 2020 when I joined I was filling up for about £15, yesterday it was over £30, so it's a burden on quite a few members."

The service also supplies donor breast milk to babies in hospital.

Bloodbike volunteer Ron McMurdie said: "It is really important, and a lot of my runs are human donated milk so I go into the intensive care units at hospitals."