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Life savers
Introduction
Heartstart UK schemes train people what to do in a life-threatening emergency, such as a cardiac arrest. In many cases these skills buy time until the defibrillator arrives to shock the heart back to a normal rhythm.
Action
The emergency life support skills taught on a Heartstart UK course include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), which doubles the chance of survival from cardiac arrest. The free community schemes are open to the public or for groups like company employees and schools. Each two-hour course provides practical, hands-on learning.
The BHF has spent over £9 million on defibrillators over the past 20 years. We provide them to trained staff wherever they are most needed, particularly in rural areas or busy towns where they will be available to reach patients faster than the emergency services. In 2003, we were given a Big Lottery Fund grant to provide 2,300 more defibrillators for the community in England, as well as funding 31 community defibrillation officers based at ambulance service NHS trusts, who are now recruiting and training people in their use.
Impact
This year Heartstart UK reached a significant milestone with one million people trained in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Over 200 more schools affiliated to the scheme this year, bringing the total of schools' schemes to 684.
In 2004, the BHF awarded our 2000th defibrillator in the community to a Gloucester leisure centre. Judith Hann, science broadcaster and former presenter of BBC's Tomorrow's World, received life-saving lessons from staff and was welcomed by John Wright, aged 71, whose life was saved by a BHF-funded defibrillator. John has since raised thousands of pounds for the Charity in appreciation.
Around 30% of heart attack sufferers die before they reach hospital, so life-saving skills and a defibrillator together can make a vital difference.
Next steps
We aim to have trained a total of 1.2 million potential lifesavers by the end of 2005.
This year we want to establish training schemes for areas of greatest need such as heart patients and their relatives, and we want to increase the number of Heartstart UK schools in England, in proportion to the rest of the UK.
Defibrillators need to be used within five minutes of collapse. We are working with ambulance services to get the machines to cardiac arrest victims within five minutes in more rural areas.