A GROUP of advanced motorcyclists are providing a silent emergency service across Worcestershire by transporting blood, pathology samples, patient scans, X-rays and other medical essentials to local hospitals.

These volunteers make up Severn Freewheelers – a regional section of the National Association of Blood Bikes (NABB) – who provide a free out-of-hours courier service, which saves the NHS thousands of pounds each year.

This week the NABB aims to raise awareness of these unsung heroes through National Blood Bike Awareness Day on August 12 and attract funds, new fundraisers, volunteer riders and dispatchers to field calls from hospitals and plan the riders’ routes.

Severn Freewheelers runs a fleet of six emergency response equipped motorcycles modified to carry packages for the NHS. More than 70 volunteers help the group carry out this vital service.

Each motorcycle covers around 30,000 miles a year and each shift, from 7pm to 7am the next day, involves a dispatcher and three riders.

During weekends and public holidays shifts can last 24 hours and four riders are used to cope with extra demand.

Emergency calls take priority and the riders use blue lights for these. All riders hold a current advanced riding qualification and receive extra training in emergency response riding and the transport of goods.

In the first eight years of Severn Freewheelers, the service answered 25,000 calls and covered more than one million miles.

The charity’s principle aim is to alleviate suffering by transporting medical essentials between NHS facilities. This includes blood, blood products, pathology samples and frozen human milk.

For more information about Severn Freewheelers visit severnfreewheelers.org.uk or visit thenabb.org.uk for more details about NABB.