Shipston-on-Stour,
United Kingdom--
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) kills more people a year than breast cancer, lung
cancer and AIDS combined, but a Midlands charity, Arrhythmia Alliance, is
aiming to cut the risk of death from SCA by introducing life-saving emergency
equipment in public places across the country – with the Warwickshire town of
Shipston-on-Stour being one of the first.
Working with the
Ambulance Service, Arrhythmia Alliance is helping to place AEDs across the
country, in external weatherproof cabinets, keypad locked for security and
easily identifiable by their prominent (emergency green) colour. If a sudden
cardiac arrest is suspected, a 999 caller is directed to their nearest cabinet
and given the access code to retrieve the AED. The operator is then able to
talk the caller through using the device while an ambulance is on the way.
In the Midlands,
four cabinets have been located in Shipston-on-Stour and a second in
Stratford-upon-Avon. All have been funded by the local community and local
businesses. A further cabinet has also been located in the village of
Newbold-on-Stour in memory of Mr. Charles Lobban, who passed away in 2008 from
sudden cardiac death.
Arrhythmia Alliance
and the West Midlands Ambulance Service are offering training to anyone who is
interested in learning how to use the devices. The Shipston launch will be the
first GP practice in the UK to locate an AED outside of premises for public
use.
Arrhythmia Alliance
Trustee, Trudie Lobban said, “This is a fantastic initiative that will save
lives. AEDs can literally mean the difference between life and death when someone
has suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. I believe these should be located in all
towns, especially at public and sporting venues and remote areas where it may
take paramedics longer to get there.”
“This is such an
important project for us and one that will make a huge impact. We are working
with ambulance and paramedic services across the country to implement as many
AEDs as possible. If your loved one experienced a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, you
would want to have an AED as close by as possible to improve their chance of
survival”
The charity can
facilitate the placement of AEDs across the country but the devices need to be
paid for by local groups or organizations. Arrhythmia Alliance will offer
support and resources that can help get a project off the ground in local
areas.
For more
information, contact Ben Fry at ben@heartrhythmcharity.org.uk.
Key Facts About SCA in the UK
In the UK,
approximately 100,000 deaths occur each year as a result of SCA. In the UK, 12
children die every week from Sudden Cardiac Arrest. During 2008-2009, 25.7% of
emergency or urgent callouts took longer than eight minutes to arrive on scene.
During 2008-2009, 3.1% of callouts took 20+ minutes for an ambulance to arrive
on scene.
SOURCE: PR Newswire