Defibrillators Roll Out Across London
Posted on August 23, 2017
Defibrillators will be provided to officers on three more London boroughs as the Met’s initiative with the London Ambulance Service continues.
The latest boroughs to be provided with Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are Brent, Haringey and Kingston-Upon-Thames.
From Monday, 21 August, the three boroughs will join 13 other boroughs as part of this initiative. Brent will receive 20 defibrillator units, Haringey will receive 26 units and Kingston will receive 15 units.
The initiative began in November 2015 when officers on four boroughs – Enfield, Croydon, Havering and Ealing – were provided with defibrillators to enable them to respond alongside ambulance crews to life-threatening emergencies in London.
In London, the average cardiac survival rate is nine per cent. At Heathrow, the survival rate is 75 per cent thanks to the availability of so many Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) and availability of staff and emergency services personnel to use them effectively.
Working together, the cardiac survival rate will increase and more lives will be saved.
Chris Hartley-Sharpe, Head of First Responders at London Ambulance Service, said:
“Every second counts when someone is in cardiac arrest. The only way to restart a heart is with a defibrillator, so the sooner one arrives with someone trained to use it, the better the outcome for the patient.
“While we will always send an ambulance response as a priority, by working together with the Met we can ensure patients in cardiac arrest receive vital treatment as quickly as possible.”
As part of the initiative, police officers equipped with defibrillators, who are available to respond, will be alerted to a potential cardiac arrest at the same time as ambulance crews, which means that if they reach the patient first, or are already on scene, they can begin providing life-saving treatment until a skilled clinician arrives.
Based on results from the pilot, it is estimated the scheme could save dozens of lives each year.
Sue Warner, Strategic Health and Safety Adviser for the Met, said:
“We are delighted to be working with the London Ambulance Service to save lives across London. Equipping our response team vehicles and station offices with this essential life saving equipment will enable our officers to respond as effectively to these critical life or death emergency calls.”
On Monday 7 August, Barnet received their defibrillators and in the early hours of the following day, their response officers were called to reports of a 66-year-old man suffering chest pains on Barfield Avenue, N20.
Within seven minutes, police were providing CPR and using their recently provided defibrillator.
London Ambulance Service attended and took the man to a north London hospital. The Ambulance crew said the two officers from Barnet borough saved the man’s life.
Would you know how to use a defibrillator? Our Emergency First Aid at Work could help you!
Source: Met Police UK