Public access defibrillators going up at 61 locations
Communities across Shropshire will have public access to defibrillators thanks to The Wrekin Housing Group.
The equipment is being installed outside the housing provider’s buildings after Wrekin teamed up with the cardiac charity SADS UK to purchase 61 defibrillators fully accessible to the public.
Defibrillators are vital to increase the chance of survival of someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. If a defibrillator is used within the first minute, the survival rate can be as high as 90 percent.
David Lewis from The Wrekin Housing Group said: “Having a defibrillator available in an emergency can be life-saving, especially in more rural areas where it may take emergency services longer to arrive. We do all we can to support our tenants, as well as the communities we operate.
"In a medical emergency, time is absolutely of the essence. By installing these defibrillator units across Shropshire, we are increasing the chances of survival of anybody who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.”
Anne Jolly MBE, the founder of SADS UK said: “Defibrillators provide lifesaving support to people in cardiac arrest. For every minute someone is in cardiac arrest without CPR and access to a defibrillator, their chances of survival drop by up to 10 per cent.
“With ambulance response times increasing, having a publicly accessible defibrillator nearby can mean the difference between life and death for someone in cardiac arrest. We are delighted to partner with the Wrekin Housing Group to ensure this vital piece of equipment can be accessed by people across Shropshire.”
The cardiac charity SADS UK aims to save lives, providing information, funding research and medical equipment to prevent premature sudden cardiac death.
