Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, met with representatives from AEDdonate to discuss their campaign heartsafe which raises money to buy defibrillators to be installed in public places.
AEDdonate help local communities, businesses and schools to gain access to the vital automated external defibrillators needed to protect against the risk of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA).
The organisation work alongside SADS UK, the Ambulance Trust and several first responders to install defibrillators in public places and to teach people about cardiac arrests, CPR, and how they can help. AEDdonate's mission is to give the Ambulance Trusts' ‘Public Access Defibrillator’ (PAD) scheme more Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs).
AEDdonate are giving local businesses the opportunity to donate an AED to the PAD scheme which will safeguard their local community from SCA.
Current UK survival rates among people who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital remain extremely poor, varying from 2% to 12% dependent on area. CPR, when combined with effective defibrillation for shock-able rhythms, results in survival rates that exceed 50% and survival rates after prompt defibrillation are as high as 75% have been reported.
After learning about the campaign Gavin said: “During my meeting with AEDdonate I learnt that sudden cardiac arrest can kill 100,000 people a year. By making AED’s more accessible to communities, especially rural communities like we have here in South Staffordshire, we can save lives. The figures which show the difference between getting to a patient who has suffered a SCA are staggering. I encourage all local businesses to donate so we can get more AEDs and save as many lives as possible.”