Speaking about this issue Carla Lockhart said 

“Most of us will know of someone who has been impacted by a cardiac arrest. It is a cruel yet common disease that will have impacted loved ones across Upper Bann. Tragically at present, many cardiac arrests that occur outside of hospital result in serious and often fatal consequences when treatment is not immediately available. 

With this in mind, I am calling on the Government to support legislation to require Automated External Defibrillators to be placed in Public Buildings across the UK, to allow members of the public to save lives across our community.”

Estimates show that every year NHS Ambulance Services attempt resuscitation in approximately 30,000 people outside of hospital each year. On average, less than 10% survive. This is because immediate treatment for a cardiac arrest is crucial for survival. For each minute that passes following a cardiac arrest without CPR or defibrillation, the survival rate drops by 10% in humans. Given that the average response time for emergency services to a cardiac arrest is just under 7 minutes we cannot rely on our emergency services alone if we want to save as many lives as possible.

Prompt, community access to defibrillators can help improve the chances of cardiac arrest survival in these circumstances. In cases where AEDs are used by members of the public, survival rates following a cardiac arrest increase to over 50%.After a number of high-profile cardiac arrests over the summer, including of Danish footballer Christian Erikson at the Euros, the public are crying out for easy access to defibrillators across the UK. 

Given that the current placement of AEDs is patchy and incomplete across the UK, the mandatory placement of AEDs in public buildings, backed by Government is an essential step towards equal access for all, and equal chances of survival.