A ‘thank you’ tea party has been held by NHS Hastings and Rother & NHS East Sussex Downs and Weald - the county’s two primary care trusts (PCTs) - for co-ordinators of the East Sussex Lions Clubs’ Message in a Bottleemergency information scheme.
The scheme is supported and promoted by 12 Lions Clubs across the PCTs’ areas in association with the NHS, local pharmacies and Age Concern. It’s a signposting scheme for emergency services, including the ambulance and the GPs’ out of hours services, to direct them to a small plastic bottle.
The bottle contains details of the individual’s medical history, medication, contacts and other information. Marked with a green cross label, it is kept in the fridge door. Another green cross label is affixed to the inside of the individual’s front door for immediate recognition by the emergency services.
Held at Heathfield Community Centre, the tea party for the Lions Clubs’ Message in a Bottleco-ordinators was hosted by Peter Greene, a non-executive director of NHS Hastings and Rother.
He said: “The Message in a Bottlescheme is very important for communicating people’s wishes in an emergency and the PCTs thank the East Sussex Lions Clubs and the scheme’s co-ordinators for supporting and promoting the scheme so enthusiastically.”
Roy Gaved, overall co-ordinator and a member of the Hastings Lions Club, said:” We have already supplied over 15,500 bottles throughout East Sussex, including 9,500 in the Hastings area. This we believe though to be only the tip of the iceberg.”
Photo caption: Roy Gaved, Message in a Bottlescheme co-ordinator for the East Sussex Lions Clubs, is pictured left at the PCTs’ ‘thank you’ tea party hosted by Peter Greene, right.
