Lincolnshire medical volunteers struggle to attend emergencies

Volunteer first responders have been forced to decide whether they have enough fuel to attend medical emergencies this week due to the ongoing fuel issues.

LIVES, a Lincolnshire charity, supports more than 700 highly trained and dedicated volunteers who deliver vital care during those first critical moments in medical emergencies throughout Lincolnshire.

But a lot of the responders have had to make the decision of whether they have enough fuel to ‘log on’ as a responder for the day amid fears of fuel shortages and panic buying at the pumps continue.

Gemma Shaw, of LIVES, said: "Our emergency responders who volunteer on LIVES rely on fuel to reach patients in urgent care.

"On Saturday, a LIVES doctor was called to four separate emergencies across the county with a full tank of fuel in his car. Unfortunately, this doctor was unable to respond to any medical emergencies on Sunday due to the fact he had to reserve his fuel to get to work as an anaesthetist on Monday.

“Minutes matter when a patient is in cardiac arrest or suffer a life-threatening incident."

Gemma is urging people to think before they fuel up, adding: "Everyone will have their own reasons for needing fuel, but if our responders are not able to fill up, it means that we cannot be there for patients who need us."

Founded in 1970 by Dr Michael Cooper and Dr Richard Harper-Smith, following a road accident on the A1, LIVES has become an essential part of Lincolnshire’s emergency care, and has grown year upon year.

Lincolnshire Police appealed for motorists "to be sensible" after long queues started forming at petrol stations across the county sparking concerns that the queues may cause difficulties for emergency services trying to reach people in need.