Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes have this weekend agreed to continue to support a pioneering “Drive-through Phlebotomy Service” with their day-time volunteer motorcyclists in Sheffield.
In response to the Coronavirus Pandemic, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust opened a “drive-through” facility at the DSA Arena in Sheffield to support patients by taking routine blood test specimens from within their cars.
Whiteknights Yorkshire Blood Bikes Advanced-Qualified riders then transport the blood samples to Laboratory Medicine at the Northern General Hospital.
Whiteknights South Yorkshire Regional Manager, Roy Clark said: “In addition to our Out-of-hours overnight service, our volunteer riders have really enjoyed responding to the need to support patients in Sheffield in this way. The new Phlebotomy facility was launched very quickly after lock-down began in March and we were delighted to be able to assist the Trust by transporting the blood samples by Blood Bike and without cost to the NHS. Almost every day over 300 patients attend the site and we are called upon to make several trips a day to convey the specimens to the hospital. We can announce we will continue to do this until September.”
Richard Wardle, of STH NHS Foundation Trust has thanked Whiteknights: “Your help has been invaluable and our service would not have been the success without your volunteers on the team. We have had numerous positive comments from clinicians about rapid turnaround times for test results – and this is greatly down to your riders getting the samples to the labs rapidly and safely.
“At present more than 1500 patients a week are using the Drive-Through at the Arena which has been instrumental in keeping patients safe and away from hospital facilities reducing the risk of being exposed to COVID-19. Thank you for your continued help Whiteknights.”
Pictured at the temporary test site are Whiteknights Volunteers, Tony Carter and South Yorkshire Regional Manager. Roy Clark.