Frontline

Charity calls for bleed kits to be registered on new national database

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L to R: Matthew Williams, who had a bleed kit used on his serious head injury by local firefighter Steve Richards. Image credit - Richard Youle, Wales Online.

The National Bleed Kit Network has launched a national database called Bleed Map to improve access to life-saving emergency medical equipment by the public in situations where a critical bleed injury has occurred.

Bleed Map operates on the same lines as The Circuit, which allows organisations or individuals to register defibrillators on a national database that is then used by ambulance services to connect people with their nearest defib in a life-threatening situation.

The Bleed Map website showing locations of bleed control kits across the UK. Image credit: Bleed Map.

Every second can be critical while awaiting the arrival of paramedics. Bleed kits are designed to be used swiftly and easily without any medical training. They should include tourniquets, haemostatic dressings, pressure bandages, vented chest seals and other items that can help control severe bleeding until professional medical help arrives.

The charity estimates that as many as 40,000 kits may be in place across the UK but until now there has been no way to know where they are located.

Mike Dowson, CEO of Turtle Medical and the founder National Bleed Kit Network, says the charity is appealing to everyone who has a bleed control kit to register it through their new website. Registration takes less than five minutes and automatically updates the ambulance service meaning they get visibility straight away.

The National Bleed Kit Network is a charity dedicated to registering and mapping emergency bleed control kits across the United Kingdom.

A video which explains how Bleed Map works is available on Bleed Map’s YouTube and other social media channels.  

Mike Dowson recently took part in an Emergency Services Times webinar focused on preparing for Martyn’s Law and having the right kit in the right place. It is available to watch on catch up.

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Catherine Levin

Catherine writes and commissions content from across the emergency services as well as interviewing senior leaders. She also hosts our webinar series exploring timely topics with a range of speakers.

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