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Chain of survival

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St Helens Council has been working alongside partners, local residents and fundraisers throughout 2015 to increase the availability of defibrillators in the borough and further strengthen the ‘chain of survival’.

In collaboration with the British Heart Foundation, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and partner services within the Local Authority, the task group have succeeded in increasing the number of defibrillators across the borough from 37 last year to a total of 117 as of May this year, and provided training and resources so that children and adults can perform early lifesaving skills.

Defibrillators are now in situ within:

·   39 schools

·   48 GP practices (including branch surgeries)

·   30 other settings, such as libraries, leisure centres and fire stations

This increase has also allowed NWAS to populate the defibrillator database with these additional locations ensuring the service can call on these strategic settings in the event of a cardiac emergency within the borough.

The multi-agency task group led by Public Health recognised that the use of defibrillators was but one part of the chain of survival and that it was equally important to develop early lifesaving skills in both adults and children.

In partnership with the British Heart Foundation, the Public Health Service jointly funded the roll-out of HeartStart, a programme teaching essential emergency life support skills. The training was facilitated by colleagues in Adult and Community Learning and as a result 29 Primary schools in St Helens are now registered as HeartStart champions.

The adults have said:

“As a result of the training, we will be including this into our curriculum to be delivered each year to the pupils.”

The children have said:

“I have enjoyed learning new skills which will help me to save people.”

“I feel important knowing what to do in an emergency.”

Councillor Andy Bowden, St Helens Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing said: “We really appreciate the efforts of all the schools and other organisations that have helped to make this happen.

“Following a cardiac arrest, it’s very important that early lifesaving skills and defibrillation starts immediately, so I’m reassured by the approach that we’ve taken in St Helens to ensure that both the equipment is in place – and that vital lifesaving skills are being developed in schools.”

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