Firefighters help deliver medication to vulnerable in Blidworth

The firefighters offered to step up after staff at Blidworth Pharmacy asked the council for extra help as requests for medication came flooding in.

Pharmacist manager Louise Keating said: “We have had a massive increase in the demand for home deliveries of patient medication since the start of March when the coronavirus took off.

“At first it was a real struggle.

“The delivery drivers were working flat out and myself and my staff were delivering medication after work on our way home.

“We really didn’t want to turn patients away or let anyone down.

“After struggling for a couple of weeks, I rang Blidworth Parish Council.

“They were so helpful and managed to arrange for Blidworth firefighters to help us out with deliveries.

“Since then, the firefighters have taken some of our deliveries out to our vulnerable patients, which has been so helpful.”

She added: “We are so grateful for the help they have given us.

“It’s just so humbling and fabulous that our community is working together to help each other in this time of crisis.”

Nottinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service is continuing to support the national #ReadyWillingAble campaign, to show how fire and rescue services are taking on additional activities to protect and support their communities, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

As well as continuing to respond to emergency calls and carry out their core duties, it has been agreed that fire and rescue service staff will also assist the ambulance service with emergency ambulance driving, support the most vulnerable through food deliveries, carry out ‘face fitting’ for masks used by health care workers and deliver PPE and medical supplies.

Nottinghamshire's chief fire officer John Buckley said: “We know we have a crucial role to play and we have seen staff going above and beyond in so many different ways.”