Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes has reported significant increases in efficiency, safety and security after deploying telematics on their motorcycle fleet.

Nigel Howells (right), fleet manager at Shropshire and Staffordshire Blood Bikes, with volunteer Gordon Hooper.

Trakm8 donated the units in January to the group, which now also includes the Cheshire region and is believed to cover the largest geographical area of any Blood Bikes group in the UK.

The technology enables the charity to provide highly accurate ETAs to both hospitals and other Blood Bike groups, consequently resulting in faster transportation of vital resources to hospitals nationwide.

Paul Collyer, group leader of the SSBB, said: “Being able to pinpoint the whereabouts of the fleet is absolutely vital to us in terms of informing hospitals and colleagues at other blood bike groups who we may be relaying consignments with. We are able to tell if riders have hit traffic and are filtering, enabling us to provide highly accurate ETAs. Trakm8’s devices also help drastically in making sure that we make the best use of our resource.

“Being able to provide a constantly updated ETS to the controller which is something I could never have done without the trackers fitted to the bikes. The trackers have made a huge difference to the efficiency of deliveries across all of the groups.”

Debbie Jones, support services care group director at The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, added: “It’s made a huge difference to us to be able to rely on blood bikes to get those samples moving for us.

“Potentially they are helping to save lives. There are certainly times when the quicker we can get results back, the better the chances are for patients.

“And, at the same time, they are saving the NHS lots of money. We very much appreciate all of their efforts and the support they give us and the wider NHS.”