VOLUNTEER motorcyclists giving their time with Blood Bikes Australia have travelled almost 295,000km, completed more than 2100 urgent medical deliveries and helped save West Moreton Health an estimated $600,000 over the past five years.
By transporting blood, pathology samples, medications and critical medical supplies free of charge, Blood Bikes Australia has helped keep ambulances on the road, healthcare workers by patients’ bedsides, and lifesaving treatment moving when every minute counts.
Operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the volunteer service has prevented an estimated 6000 hours of ambulance and hospital staff time from being diverted away from frontline patient care across Ipswich, Ripley, Springfield, Boonah, Laidley, Gatton and Esk.
Founded by Redbank Plains resident Peter Davis, the idea came after hearing about the long-established Blood Bikes movement in Scotland.
“My wife doesn’t like to ride, and she doesn’t even like to be a pillion, he said.
“Quite frankly, I was looking for a good excuse to go for a ride.”
The first delivery was completed on September 21, 2019, but today Blood Bikes transports far more than blood, with cargo that includes pathology specimens, biopsies, clinical trial samples, stem cells, donor corneas, bone tissue, breast milk, medications, medical equipment, consumables, patient belongings and essential paperwork.
One of the organisation’s most significant partnerships has been with West Moreton Health, where volunteers support Ipswich Hospital and surrounding health facilities through an on-call service with an average turnaround of just 90 minutes from request to delivery.
Despite its national reach, Mr Davis said Blood Bikes Australia still operated differently from almost every other volunteer organisation, described as “the world’s first volunteer franchise”.
Rather than committing to fixed rosters, volunteers simply log into an online portal whenever they are available.
Healthcare providers can instantly see riders within a 200km radius and allocate jobs directly.
“The beautiful part about us is that you only commit for the time that you want to commit,” Mr Davis said.
“It’s a great excuse to go for a ride.”
The organisation continues to welcome three to four new qualified volunteers every week.
“We never struggle to recruit volunteers,” Mr Davis said.
“What keeps volunteers engaged is having meaningful work to do.”
Mater said the partnership had grown to become increasingly important.
“The team of volunteers has been instrumental in ensuring patients and staff are cared for and getting what they need, when they need it most,” a Mater spokesperson said.
“Having the right supplies at the right time can be a matter of life and death, and no job has ever been too much of an ask.”
Mr Davis encouraged both healthcare providers and prospective volunteers to learn more through the organisation’s website and Facebook page, where training information, volunteer resources and regional contact details are available.
And despite carrying lifesaving cargo, Blood Bikes Australia has never lost its sense of humour.
“When we’re stationary, we’re a clot of Blood Bikers,” Mr Davis laughed.
“And when we’re riding together, we’re a haemoglobin.”
