November 19, 2012
Vinnie’s back to push up depressing cardiac arrest
survival
Dire cardiac arrest survival rates in England,
where only one in five people survive, show no immediate signs of
improving, according to new figures we've compiled.
In April last year, the Department of Health began collecting a
new set of performance indicators for ambulance trusts in England,
which included cardiac arrest survival
rates.
Since the new indicators were introduced, figures show there has
been no sustained improvement in survival rates
from witnessed out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, where CPR and a
defibrillator could have helped.
If survival rates are to improve, we believe more
bystanders need to help by doing CPR, so we're
bringing back our popular Hands-only CPR TV advert, starring
Hollywood hardman Vinnie Jones.
Survival statistics
We know Hands-only CPR works but more bystanders need to step in
The
latest
ambulance trust figures, published this month, show in
June 18.5 per cent of witnessed cardiac arrest casualties attended
by paramedics survived to leave hospital –
just 58 out of
314 casualties.
In May 2011, survival rates peaked at 28 per cent but have since
deteriorated and not risen above 20 per cent this year. In Seattle,
where over half of the population are now trained in
CPR, survival rates stand at 52 per cent.
The data for England also show where you live in the country
could determine your chances of surviving a
witnessed cardiac arrest. In June, a rate of just 7.5 per cent was
recorded in the East Midlands compared to 33 per cent in Wiltshire
and Gloucestershire.
Hands-only CPR works
Our original advert and training film told millions
that have-a-go-heroes should give the kiss of life a miss in favour
of hard and fast chest compressions to the beat of
Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees. Amazingly 28
people have contacted us to say Hands-only CPR has helped
to save a life, including that of 39-year-old
Alan Linton who is set to star in the
new advert.
But our Medical Director Professor Peter
Weissberg wants more survivors: “Many people can survive
an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest but only if they receive
immediate CPR. “Sadly, in the vast majority of cases in the UK this
doesn’t happen. We know Hands-only CPR
works but more bystanders need to step in if we’re
ever to see the majority become the minority."
“The great thing about Hands-only CPR is you don’t need
any special skills or to remember how to do the kiss of
life. It’s simple, you can’t do any harm and you may well save a
life. We know of at least 28 people who are alive
today simply because the person standing next to them when
they collapsed did what Vinnie told them to do in our advert.”
More information