SARS provide specialist volunteer responders to assist the East of England Ambulance Service at the scenes of serious medical emergencies or trauma.
Their clinical resource consists of a network of solo responders and mobile critical care teams who can respond to incidents across Suffolk and its adjacent counties.
SARS is mobilised via the EEAST critical care desk, which monitors incoming 999 calls to the region.
SARS responders include anaesthetists, critical care paramedics and other clinicians with enhanced prehospital skills. These clinicians are authorised to carry specialist drugs and additional life-saving equipment not found on frontline ambulances.
This means that SARS clinicians can provide an additional and advanced level of patient care that would not normally be available outside the hospital environment.
This can help save lives, reduce the chances of patients suffering permanent disability and provide relief from extreme pain. As our clinicians live locally, it also means that they can be on scene before any other medical resource – a speed of response which can be vital for time-critical patients.
Find out more about SARS at sars999.org.uk.
SERV Suffolk and Cambridgeshire – The Bloodrunners provides an essential service to our local NHS Hospitals, Air Ambulance Services, Human Donated Milk Banks, hospices, pharmacies and vulnerable patients by transporting urgently needed blood, blood products, patient samples, donated human milk, medicine and medical equipment completely free of charge.
SERVSC was launched in May 2011 with Ipswich Hospital closely followed by West Suffolk Hospital. They started delivering to Peterborough City Hospital, Papworth and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals in 2012.
In August 2012, they proudly launched the Donor Baby Milk Service. This involves the collection and delivery of donated human milk used to support premature babies in the hospital maternity units of Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and, when requested, throughout the UK
In 2019 they were humbled and delighted to be awarded the Queens Award for Voluntary Service, which is the equivalent of an MBE.
During 2020, the COVID-19 crisis caused their workload to rise significantly so they decided to increase their availability to 24 hours a day, every day and they became a Charity Incorporated Organisation
There are now approximately 160 volunteers including duty controllers who take the calls and organise the volunteer motorcyclists and car drivers, who give their time and mostly use their own vehicles free of charge, to deliver items to where they need to be within hours.
SERV Suffolk and Cambridgeshire receives no government funding, its costs being met by donations from members of the public, local businesses, charitable grants and awards. There are no paid staff.
Find out more about SERV Suffolk and Cambridgeshire at servsc.org.uk.