Ambulance crews seek message in bottle

Ambulance crews in Rochdale will be looking for a message in a bottle when they visit vulnerable people at home.

Hundreds of bottles will be distributed to the homes of elderly and physically and mentally disabled people over the next few weeks.

The bottles, which will be kept in the fridge, will contain vital information such as allergies, next of kin and blood type.

There will be a sign at the front of the house so ambulance crews know where to look.

The region-wide scheme has been set up to make sure that paramedics have all the facts they need in an emergency.

In support of the scheme, NHS North-West has donated £50,000 to make sure the Message in a Bottle scheme is successfully rolled out.

Paul Smith, the scheme’s co-ordinator, said: "The Message in a Bottle initiative is designed to encourage vulnerable people, perhaps living on their own, to keep basic personal and medical details in a specially-marked, small plastic bottle in their fridges so they can be easily found in an emergency.

"The scheme can benefit many people including the elderly, those with medical conditions and those who have difficulty communicating."

John Burnside, North-West Ambulance Service chief executive, said: "Often when our crews arrive at an emergency the patient could be unconscious or incoherent and one of the first concerns is to try to establish if there is an existing medical problem or if the patient is taking any medication.

"These two pieces of information are crucial in helping determine the way we should or shouldn’t treat a patient. And if a crew transfers a patient to hospital, the bottle goes with them so the scheme benefits everyone involved. The bottle really can be a life saver.

"All residents have to do is complete the form supplied with the bottle, place the bottle in the fridge and display the stickers."

Date article online: 16/08/2007