Your NHS: The volunteer team delivering blood for the NHS
BBC"Hardly anyone even knows who we are or what we do," says a motorcyclist who has been making potentially life-saving journeys for 18 years.
Robin Carter is a volunteer for SERV, a charity which delivers blood to NHS hospitals across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire, Northamptonshire and Hampshire.
The team's network of drivers often work in the middle of the night and at off-peak times, taking crucial cargo where it is needed.
"I may be just a little cog but I may be just doing something to help someone," says Carter.
During a recent late night drop-off to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, Carter met with fellow rider and Chairman of SERV Kamran Irani.
"In 2025 from January to December we did over 4,000 consignments," Irani said.
The dedicated fleet of motorcycles and 4 x 4 vehicles provide a rapid response courier service and also deliver human milk, spinal fluid, scans and patient notes.
Mariana Constantin, from the blood bank team at Royal Berkshire Hospital, knows just how vital the work of the charity can be.
She said: "When everybody goes to bed, SERV are there, they're available to transport the blood at an hour's notice, that means that our patients can have the blood transfusions when they need it."
You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
