A hospital worker is taking on a series of charity challenges to help improve patient safety – and had to learn to ride a bike to complete her latest effort on Sunday.

Emma Bijoux is a project manager for information management and technology at the East and North Herts NHS Trust, which runs Lister Hospital in Stevenage.

The 31-year-old hopes to raise £1,000 to help fund a project she is managing to implement recording patients’ observations electronically, instead of using pen and paper.

Emma, who lives in Weavers Orchard in Arlesey, said: “The project ensures hospital policies on capturing vital signs for early warning of deterioration, triggering appropriate clinical responses and completing patient assessments are fully implemented across the NHS trust.

“The prompt response to clinical change is proven to shorten the length of stay for patients, and to reduce patient transfers to other hospitals and to the intensive care unit.

“By identifying deteriorating patients and automatically escalating them for clinical response, the project will help us raise care standards and deliver on national and local targets for improvements in care quality and patient safety.”

The Hitchin Running Club member began her fundraising effort in March when she completed the Windy25 Memorial 5k in Las Vegas, and followed that up with the ITU World Triathlon Series in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday.

Emma, who had to learn to ride a bike to take part in the competition, took 42 minutes to swim 400 metres, cycle 15km and run 2.5km.

Afterwards, she said: “The triathlon was a brilliant day and the atmosphere was amazing.

“It was very hard, but I did it. Jumping into the water in the cold was the worst bit.”

Emma has already raised almost half of her £1,000 target and is now preparing for the St Albans Half Marathon on Sunday, June 14.

She will then take on another 13.1-mile course – Newcastle’s Great North Run – in September, before finishing her charity challenge with the Love Luton Half Marathon in October.

To support Emma and the NHS trust’s project, which will be rolled out over the next 12 months, visit her online charity page at www.justgiving.com/emmabijoux.