After two bleed kit options found by officers failed to meet expectations., Edinburgh Council will explore procuring the ‘most appropriate’ bleed kits it can
In a vote at last Thursday’s (27) full council meeting, the council agreed to ask for a report including information on the procurement process for bleed kits.
In addition, it agreed to ask officers to liaise with the NHS, police and education bodies to find out the merits of different piece of equipment that could be included in them.
The councillor behind the push said after the vote that it was important the kits could be rolled out in memory of a young man who died in a knife attack last year.
Edinburgh Council’s budget for this year includes £50,000 to spend on procuring the kits, meant to be placed in schools and community centres.
The effort to get the kits was spearheaded by Green councillor Susan Rae, who is looking to build on the efforts of Leith parent Lisa Petrie.
Ms Petrie’s son, 22-year-old John McNab, was killed in the unprovoked stabbing attack in September last year, after which she began a campaign to put together bleed kits and donate them.
Councillors in the city’s education, children and families committee were presented options for commercially available kits in March this year.
But a motion put forward by Cllr Rae before the full council meeting last week said the kits were missing some equipment that feature in the ones Ms Petrie’s charity group puts out.
Cllr Rae also wrote that councillors on the committee may not have been aware that this was the case.
She added that council officers had reached out to Ms Petrie’s ‘Not in Vain’ campaign, under the Low Income Families Together (LIFT) charity at Muirhouse, for advice on next steps.
Cllr Rae said: “Councillors remember the powerful deputation from Lisa Petrie, who tragically lost her son John to a brutal stabbing in Leith last year.
“Lisa came to speak to Council alongside LIFT when the original motion on bleed kits was discussed earlier this year.
“All Councillors then committed to including funding for bleed kits in the Council budget which was passed in February.
“I understand there are legal processes [required] for procurement, but I very much hope that council officers can engage with Lisa and with LIFT as they take this work forward.
“It is important to me, and so many others, that this work can go forward in John’s memory.”
By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter
