See on Scoop.it – Defibrillation

Visitors and employees at the Houses of Parliament can now be assured of receiving the very best in service from the first aid team, following the installation of 16 new defibrillators.

Part funded by the British Heart Foundation, defibrillators are machines that can deliver a shock to restart a patient’s heart should they suffer a cardiac arrest – when the heart stops pumping blood around the body.

The newly qualified six-strong HeartStart training team and the current first aid team at the Houses of Parliament will now be on hand to deliver this lifesaving care 24 hours a day.

London Ambulance Service is responsible for over 800 public-access defibrillators around the capital, placed in tourist attractions, transport hubs, shopping centres and sports facilities.

Last year the scheme helped to save 11 patients who had suffered a cardiac arrest to be discharged from hospital. Overall in London, almost a third of patients suffering cardiac arrest survived in 2011/12 – the highest in the country.

 
See on www.londonambulance.nhs.uk

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