#AAW2023 – Day 2 – Dorset & Somerset

by | Sep 5, 2023 | Air Ambulance, DocBike UK, Dorset

 

The DocBike story began in Dorset when we realised that despite carrying blood, critical care ventilators, critical care consultant-grade doctors and paramedics and any piece of equipment that we could want on our £10 million helicopter, when it came to bikers, often, it wasn’t enough to save their lives. To make a real difference, we needed to get to the patient before they crashed – and so the DocBike charity was born.

Working with Chris Smith QPM, a decorated and one of the highest-trained motorcyclists in the UK (he teaches the instructors to train police motorcyclists to ride at an advanced level on blue lights) Dr Ian Mew, an air ambulance critical care consultant was put onto a blue-light motorcycle to do three things:

  1. To help anyone who needed life-saving critical care, not just motorcyclists (watch the video here)

  2. To teach members of the public on what to do if they come across a fallen motorcyclist through FREE BikerDown Courses (watch the video here)

  3. To share our experience of why motorcyclists crash with bikers, and in doing so, give them the awareness and skills to avoid being involved in a crash – even when it’s not their fault (read our top tips here)

Ten years later, the DocBike charity in Dorset has

  • Two operational motorcycles,
  • 31 active volunteers
  • Trains around 300 people each year through BikerDown courses
  • Engages with over 5,000 bikers each year
  • Is in regular contact with over 1,600 motorcyclists in the Dorset region.
  • In 2022, saw a 50% reduction in motorcycle-related fatalities compared to previous years

 

We’d like to say a massive thank-you to Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance!

Right from the very beginning, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance have supported the DocBike charity to grow. We all believe in the same thing – saving people’s lives. By putting air ambulance critical care doctors and paramedics onto response motorcycles, not only are we increasing the critical care capability available to everyone in the region (not just motorcyclists), but by sharing our tips and tricks, we’re helping motorcyclists to become more skilled riders and be able to avoid crashes – even when they’re not at fault.

In 2023, Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance helped the DocBike charity by providing a grant to allow them to put the Zoll X-series monitors on their motorcycles – meaning that all of the equipment on the DocBikes was now in line with that on the air ambulance. In this way, the same people who fly on the Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance, also ride the DocBikes and work to the same operating procedures, with the same colleagues, under the same governance structure. Streamlined critical care in a way that simply works!

Today we have 7 branches of the charity across the UK and we are continually expanding into more counties, our latest branch being in Somerset & Avon.

The Annual DocBike Ride-Out takes place on Sunday 24th September and will ride out to the Air Ambulance Base at Henstridge Airfield. To join this amazing event, check out https://docbike.org/dorset-ride-out/

Please share your support for all of the Air Ambulances across the UK during #AirAmbulanceWeek and in particular, check out AirAmbulancesUK and the charities that are currently actively supporting DocBike!

 

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