Residents in Ayrshire urged to carry a 'Message in a Bottle' to help in emergency

Stephen Bark

19 November 2024 at 5:05 am·3-min read

A scheme to assist emergency services responding to callouts has come to Ayrshire.

Police Scotland has teamed up with volunteers at Dementia Friendly Largs and District to bring the Message In A Bottle scheme to the town.

Last week, 300 Message In A Bottle tubs were handed over and are now available from police stations across the county.

Each tub contains emergency information like personal details and health information - all of which are invaluable to emergency service workers to assist in keeping people safe.

People living with Alzheimer’s or dementia as well as a number of health conditions which require regular medication are encouraged to collect a tub and keep it up to date in case of an emergency.

Police Scotland are also reminding loved ones of people living with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other cognitive conditions to complete a Herbert Protocol form.

The Herbert Protocol allows police and partner agencies to easily access information on the person and a photograph to help quickly and safely locate missing people.

Cristine Malcolmson, from Dementia Friendly Largs and District, said: “The help tubs is a national scheme and Dementia Friendly Largs and District took it up because a member of ours, David MacDonald, who was a police officer in Largs and also a first responder.

“These are great little bottles for anybody - not just people with dementia but for anybody who lives on their own or anybody who has a medical condition.

“Anyone can have an accident at home and become unconscious. When paramedics come to your house, they will often look around for medication.

“If you have everything written down on this form in this little tub, then they can go straight to the fridge and pick it up to take it to the hospital with you.

“The medical teams then have the information they need to start treatment immediately.

“My background is in nursing and when working in A&E, you often get people who are totally unconscious and there are no relatives there at the time so you don’t know if you can give them any antibiotics they might react to like penicillin.

“It is a great thing to have, pop in the fridge and keep up to date.

“The Herbert protocol has been developed by Alzheimer's Scotland and Police Scotland. It is a form that you complete for a loved one with dementia or any cognitive impairment and may be likely to go wandering.

“A lot of people with dementia will go back to their old house, their parents house or a bus stop or work they used to go to.

“If you have that information on the form, rather than the police having to take it all down, it makes it a lot easier to find a person.”

A spokesperson for Police Scotland added: “Following on from the handover of 300 Message In A Bottle tubs last Monday, these are now available for free uplift from your local Police Scotland Ayrshire office.

“Funded by Police Scotland, and supplied by Dementia Friendly Largs and District, the tubs are for the members of our community with medical health issues.

“The tubs are kept in the fridge, and come with green cross stickers that go on the outside of the fridge. Each tub contains emergency information like personal details, health info, photograph - all of which are invaluable to emergency service workers to assist in keeping them safe.

“Loved ones are encouraged to complete a "Herbert Protocol" form on behalf of the vulnerable person. This document has been used many times to help police and other agencies quickly and safely located missing people. Find out more at: https://orlo.uk/sXEzy .

“For your most local Ayrshire police office and its opening hours, visit: https://orlo.uk/t7SNY .”

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