Charity Run BLOOD Vehicles and excemption to speed limits?
Discussion
vonhosen said:
Blood vehicles aren't exempt from speed limits.
Even if they were, for a charity run ??
Operated by serv and freewheelers and such like, thats what I meant.Even if they were, for a charity run ??
SO the blue lights and sirens can only be used to aid progress up to speed limits.
Edited by jbsportstech on Thursday 7th February 19:16
Frix said:
Most bikes are owned by volunteers. They use whatever they ride. The organisation I am a member of has a couple of liveried bikes which were donated. You use what you have basically.
Such as http://mobile.pistonheads.com/;s=bTCS5M689RCKmtoBC...the BTS marked vehicles also have lights and noise but aren't afforded a speed limit exemption
the legislation permitting the fitting andf use of blue lights and sirens specifically allows vehicles used for blood and tissue transport , but the speed exemption legislation does not - hence the whole performance with the Mick Ferguson case
the legislation permitting the fitting andf use of blue lights and sirens specifically allows vehicles used for blood and tissue transport , but the speed exemption legislation does not - hence the whole performance with the Mick Ferguson case
Edited by mph1977 on Monday 11th February 12:22
Interesting topic I work for the National Blood Service ( or NHSBT to give it the correct title) and when I am sat waiting for an urgent sample to arrive from a hospital, I wish they would get a move on!/ Infact taxi's are generally "quicker".
Hospitals order blood " blue light" in emergencies but NBS drivers cannot exceed the speed limits , I do not know if they can run red lights ( i will ask).
Volunteers definately cannot run lights, speed and they do not have blue lights.
Charity blood vehicles are sometimes allowed to fetch/deliver samples but not transport blood back to hospitals due to storage conditions etc. It depends .
Hospitals order blood " blue light" in emergencies but NBS drivers cannot exceed the speed limits , I do not know if they can run red lights ( i will ask).
Volunteers definately cannot run lights, speed and they do not have blue lights.
Charity blood vehicles are sometimes allowed to fetch/deliver samples but not transport blood back to hospitals due to storage conditions etc. It depends .
I should add this is my experience in our region and depends on the companies / charities used. Our hospitals generally use courier companies.
The charity volunteers save the NHS a fortune.. good on them, Hull to Leeds and back again in the early hours of the morning for nothing... I wont tell you what the NBS would charge the hospital for the same run !
The charity volunteers save the NHS a fortune.. good on them, Hull to Leeds and back again in the early hours of the morning for nothing... I wont tell you what the NBS would charge the hospital for the same run !
A good mate does this, and I'm on the cusp of volunteering too. He gets a fully liveried-and-lit Triumph Tiger for his duty times and has done the blue-light training with the Police, but cannot exceed limits when on call.
He has so far saved several dozen lives as a result of his work and looks forward to each duty turn, even if it is freezing!
He has so far saved several dozen lives as a result of his work and looks forward to each duty turn, even if it is freezing!
It's not as clear cut as some would suggest. The actual answer is "it depends" and without digging deeper into specifics you cannot be certain one way or the other.
It will depend mainly on the exact wording of the SLA or contract with the NHS that they are operating to and the exact nature of their call or job they are on. In certain circumstances a charity run and operated vehicle could be afforded full exemptions in law to red lights, traffic seperators and speed. In others they may enjoy only the first two exemptions and again in others they may have absolutely no exemptions nor be entitled to fit & operate emergency equipment. It's not possible to answer without really looking at the detail which if you're asking the question I doubt you have.
It will depend mainly on the exact wording of the SLA or contract with the NHS that they are operating to and the exact nature of their call or job they are on. In certain circumstances a charity run and operated vehicle could be afforded full exemptions in law to red lights, traffic seperators and speed. In others they may enjoy only the first two exemptions and again in others they may have absolutely no exemptions nor be entitled to fit & operate emergency equipment. It's not possible to answer without really looking at the detail which if you're asking the question I doubt you have.
Robert Lees said:
Interesting topic I work for the National Blood Service ( or NHSBT to give it the correct title) and when I am sat waiting for an urgent sample to arrive from a hospital, I wish they would get a move on!/ Infact taxi's are generally "quicker".
Hospitals order blood " blue light" in emergencies but NBS drivers cannot exceed the speed limits , I do not know if they can run red lights ( i will ask).
Volunteers definately cannot run lights, speed and they do not have blue lights.
Charity blood vehicles are sometimes allowed to fetch/deliver samples but not transport blood back to hospitals due to storage conditions etc. It depends .
They are exempt from red traffic lights but the only exemptions from speed limits are for fire & rescue services, ambulance, SOCA & Police purposes. Hospitals order blood " blue light" in emergencies but NBS drivers cannot exceed the speed limits , I do not know if they can run red lights ( i will ask).
Volunteers definately cannot run lights, speed and they do not have blue lights.
Charity blood vehicles are sometimes allowed to fetch/deliver samples but not transport blood back to hospitals due to storage conditions etc. It depends .
Bomb disposal, organ transport, blood donor etc are not exempt from speed limits.
i stand corrected about the lights, very interesting. I work in a testing department within NBS and we test samples from hospitals that they cannot resolve. The hospital send a sample,I fall out of bed and drive ( within the speed limits)to work, I test it, identify the antibody and select blood suitable for the patient and send it back out to the hospital. Getting the sample over to us quickly makes a big difference to the patients as does getting the blood back sharpish.The cost saving is an added bonus for the NHS.
Doing frequent blood runs as a courier I was well aware of the time limits the blood etc can be in the boxes in the vans.
Long distance jobs where you get a delay (motorway hols ups etc) on the way mean phone calls to stop at a hospital en route and get the boxes repacked, or you can risk legging it and hope you don't get a ticket.
Far better to arrive a little later without spilling it than not at all
Worst job was a Christmas day call out to take an urgent job to London, rare but it happened. Can't break the speed limit, patient is near death's door. Run cancelled 15 mins later as patient had died.
Long distance jobs where you get a delay (motorway hols ups etc) on the way mean phone calls to stop at a hospital en route and get the boxes repacked, or you can risk legging it and hope you don't get a ticket.
Far better to arrive a little later without spilling it than not at all
Worst job was a Christmas day call out to take an urgent job to London, rare but it happened. Can't break the speed limit, patient is near death's door. Run cancelled 15 mins later as patient had died.
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