U-TURN: Blood Bikers WILL provide OUT OF HOURS service for Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust.

A statement by Warwickshire and Solihull Blood Bikes (WSBB) has confirmed that the organisation will be resuming its voluntary support of University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) NHS Trust.

The Trust ended its long-standing relationship with volunteers of the WSBB back in April, announcing that it would be replacing them as part of a new £14 million contract with private firm QE Facilities Ltd.

But following public outcry, including a petition on Change.org which garnered over 30,000 signatures, the future of WSBB is looking much brighter. A statement on its Facebook page has confirmed that the Blood Bikers and the Trust will be working together once again, with the “WSBB will be providing an out of hours service from 7pm on week days, as well as a 24 hour service at weekends and bank holidays, for urgent and emergency requests.”

The WSBB’s Chairman, Mark Lavery, said: “It is with great pleasure that the Blood Bikes can once again do what we do best and help save University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust money with our free out of hours service totally run by volunteers and funded by kind donations from the public.”

The Trust’s Chief Operating Officer, Lisa Kelly, said: “The transport of samples is vital to our work and the Blood Bikers offer a dedicated, professional service. These kind volunteers, who give up their time free of charge, make a real difference to the people of Coventry and Warwickshire and local communities. We are delighted to continue working in partnership with WSBB. Our aim is to ensure the Pathology Service continues to go from strength to strength and helps to further enhance the patient experience.”