Outside normal office hours, when their internal courier service is not available, hospitals have to rely on taxis or couriers to transfer urgent medical supplies or test samples between hospitals and other sites. Blood Bike groups, across the country, seek to carry out this service free of charge, ensuring the limited resources of the NHS can be used where it makes a difference. Northumbria Blood Bikes is dependent on charitable donations, solely run by volunteers, giving their own free time to run and deliver the service.
In critical situations, blood or other medical items need to be delivered urgently in order to save a patient's life. Blood bikes, with their distinctive livery, emergency lights, and narrow profile, can quickly get through busy traffic reaching the destination sooner