A CHARITY is the going the extra mile to support the NHS through the coronavirus pandemic.

Bloodrun Emergency Volunteer Services (EVS), based in Cleveland, was founded ten years ago by volunteers who work overnight to deliver samples for pathology testing by motorbike.

The charity have been chosen to receive a £2,500 grant from County Durham Community Foundation, who have been put in charge of distributing the National Emergency Trust's funds to local and grassroot charities during the coronavirus.

The foundation have been awarded £100,000 from the National Emergencies Trust Coronavirus fundraiser, as well as raising more than £122,000 through its own crowdfunder appeal.

Along with their primary mission, volunteers will now be doing their part to support the NHS during the coronavirus crisis by helping take patients safely home once they have been discharged from hospitals, and transport essential hospital equipment.

Bloodrun EVS Chair Anthony Finegan said: “This is a service we have wanted to offer for some time, and now the circumstances have made it pressing.

“We all volunteer for the right reasons and our charitable objective is to save the NHS money, which may now go towards another ventilator or PPE.

"The health service often have to rely on taxis to get people home but with the current situation it is just not financially viable to fit each taxi out with the necessary equipment to make it safe for the passenger and driver.”

Bloodrun EVS has 50 volunteers and a pool of four cars and four bikes.

Volunteers are using their own cars to transport patients home to try and alleviate bed-blocking.

The charities own fleet will continue to operate carrying samples, CoVid and otherwise, to adhere with their governance procedures.

A CoVid testing machine has also been brought to North Tees by the charity.

Mr Finegan added: “All of us just want to help, and unfortunately one of our volunteers has been on a ventilator for two weeks so that brings it home.

“We’ve been working with North Tees Hospital and James Cook Hospital for many years, outside of office hours, carrying laboratory samples so people can be diagnosed and treated quicker.

“There is a very good voluntary driver service at North Tees but many of their volunteers are in the at risk category where they need to self-isolate so we are delighted to be able to help."