HSE fails to use free transfer service in South

The HSE South continues to pay taxis and couriers to transport blood samples, breast milk and human tissue even though a motorcycle charity has been lobbying for almost a year to provide the service free of charge.

In fact the HSE South is the only regional arm of the HSE not to avail of the out-of-hours Blood Bike service which is running successfully in the Mid-West, the West, East and North-West. Declan O’Donovan, spokesperson for Blood Bike South, said the 40 or so volunteer riders who signed up as far back as October 2013, were “in danger of dropping out” because of the failure of the HSE to engage their services.

The upshot was two motorbikes worth €15,000, bought on the back of the generosity of donors and sponsors, were effectively in cold storage since the service was launched last May, Mr O’Donovan said.