A new public access defibrillator has been installed at The Retreat in Leek, Staffordshire. The AED has been registered with the local ambulance service and is available to the public 24/7.
Bernie Emery from The Retreat said “We were very keen to raise money for a defibrillator for the west end of Leek. We held several Christmas Carol Concerts and raised £400. We were then contacted by Tanis Pickford who had previously raised money at the Leek Conservative Club for a defibrillator. She was in contact with Dave Swarbrooks who was also raising money for defibrillators around Leek and with his help we were able to get a defibrillator through AEDdonate.
We’re delighted that we now have a defib in our local area which can serve the local community.”
Jamie Richards, Chief Executive of AEDdonate said “The chance of survival after Sudden Cardiac Arrest decreases minute by minute, but if someone is shocked with a defibrillator within 3 minutes their chance of survival increases by 70 %.
Having an AED within a 1/2-mile radius from wherever you are I believe is a must. We would welcome further communities to get in touch to see if we can help.”
If anyone dials 999 to a patient who is in cardiac arrest in the area, the caller will be advised on the location of the defibrillator and provided with the code to open the secure cabinet in which it is housed. The ambulance call assessor has the ability to talk to any caller, defibrillator trained or not, through instructions on how to use the device as well as CPR techniques. The defibrillator itself also provides voice guidance throughout and pictorial guides are also present.
If you would like more information on how you or your business can donate a defibrillator to a Community Public Access Site visit www.aeddonate.org.uk