ST JOHN Ambulance volunteers in Redditch are supporting a simple, but potentially life saving service that people can keep at home in the fridge.
‘Message in a Bottle’ is a Lions Club International project designed to help the emergency services identify or help people who fall ill at home.
A crib sheet of the patient’s medical information is kept in a plastic pot and stored in the fridge door with a sticker on the outside of the fridge alerting people to the message contained inside.
St John Ambulance volunteer area manager and Lions supporter, Richard Brown said: ‘It’s such a simple and brilliant idea – in an emergency, the message lets an ambulance crew, paramedic or community first responder quickly know what medical issues their patient already has.
‘That knowledge can help them deliver the first aid, treatment or medication most appropriate to the person’s needs.
‘It saves time and could save lives – particularly if the patient has an underlying condition that isn’t immediately obvious.’
The Message in Bottle pots are being distributed by St John Ambulance Units across Worcestershire.
Simply email Richard ([email protected]) with your name and address, and a local volunteer will drop one round when they’re passing.
‘We have volunteers all over Worcestershire, and they are active members of their communities with a keen interested in saving lives through their roles as first aiders,’ Richard added.
‘With that in mind, it makes good sense for us to support the Lions through this initiative and we’re hoping to distribute as many bottles as possible over the next few months.’
For more information on St John Ambulance’s work, including how to become a volunteer and details of training for the public, schools and businesses, visit www.sja.org.uk or call 08700 10 49 50.
