Bradford’s elderly and vulnerable residents are being told that storing vital medical information in a bottle could save their lives.

Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has teamed up with Keighley Lions and the Friends of the Bradford Royal Infirmary (BRI) to mount a Message in the Bottle scheme to protect the most at-risk patients.

The plastic container, which will be given out free, will allow the storage of important details like medical conditions, GPs details and prescribed medication for the emergency services to access easily.

Chief Nurse Sally Ferguson said: “The Message in a Bottle scheme is simple, but incredibly effective, and could prove invaluable in case of an emergency. ”

Experts suggest storing the labelled bottle in the fridge and sticking a green warning label on the fridge door to alert emergency services to the container’s presence.

BRI matron Dawn Parkes said: “Sometimes it is the simple things that are the most effective. This emergency bottle is a terrific idea which could have a massive impact upon people’s lives.

“The Message in a Bottle scheme gives emergency services a single reference point for essential information about people who may suffer from conditions such as diabetes, epilepsy or a chronic allergy. ”

Nurses across the BRI site and St Luke’s Hospital will distribute packs to patients and any relative who asks for a container.

The containers were supplied by Keighley Lions and purchased for the Foundation Trust by the Friends of the BRI.