A LEADING heart charity today backed The Evening Star's campaign to get lifesaving equipment into Suffolk's busiest places.The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has commended the Spend a Little, Save a Life campaign and said it is a scheme which should be run nationwide.
A LEADING heart charity today backed The Evening Star's campaign to get lifesaving equipment into Suffolk's busiest places.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has commended the Spend a Little, Save a Life campaign and said it is a scheme which should be run nationwide.
The campaign is run with the East of England Ambulance Service and promotes the importance of getting defibs out and about in the community.
Katharine Peel, head of Heart Save at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The British Heart Foundation fully supports the need for lifesaving defibrillators to be more accessible in areas of need across the UK. “Defibrillators need to be available promptly as chances of survival diminish by 14per cent for every minute delay until defibrillation.
“The Star's campaign to highlight this need in Suffolk coupled with the fact that it is a low cost way to increase the chance of survival from cardiac arrest is very commendable.
“We hope that more public amenities and work places take the opportunity to invest in these life saving machines.”
To encourage large employers and bosses at busy public places to buy defibs, the Star is offering a £10 start-up kitty to the first 20 organisations who pledge to buy one.
The cardiac charity Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome UK is putting another £50 into the kitty and the ambulance service will provide training.
Cardiac Science, a defib supplier in Sudbury, will offer lifesaving heart machines for £1,522, including VAT.
Has your life been saved by a defib? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk
SPEND a Little, Save a Life is an Evening Star campaign to get lifesaving heart equipment in all of Suffolk's busiest places.
The Star has teamed up with the East of England Ambulance Service to highlight the potential lifesaving importance of defibrillators.
Commonly known as defibs, the electric shock machines are relatively cheap, easy to use and are absolutely vital for cardiac arrest patients.
From big employers to public venues and bustling shops which see thousands cross their thresholds every day - all should be rallied to buy a defib.
The difference they can make is in no doubt as for every minute's delay in getting to a patient in cardiac arrest, the chances of survival reduce by ten per cent.
To find out more about getting a defib, e-mail Jon Needle at jonathan.needle@eastamb.nhs.uk
In the UK, around 227,000 people suffer a heart attack each year.
Someone has a heart attack every two minutes.
In about 30per cent of heart attacks, the patient dies.
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