FIVE new defibrillators are being installed in community locations as part of the Heartshield project.
They are the first in a raft of 30 new automated external defibrillators (AEDs) that will be installed across Leicester in the coming months, adding to 121 that are publicly accessible 24 hours a day. In a cardiac emergency, immediate CPR and defibrillation can increase the chances of survival to over 50%.
The Heartshield project is a partnership between Leicester City Council’s public health team, East Midlands Ambulance Service and local heart charity the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT).
This week is SADS Week (29 Sept-5 Oct), JHMT’s annual awareness-raising week to highlight that sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) can happen to anyone, at any time. To mark SADS Week, JHMT and the city council are funding the 30 new AEDs, along with the cabinets they are housed in, to be installed across the city.
The first five new defibrillators are being installed in the Highfields and Evington areas, where public health experts have identified gaps in coverage. They are being fitted with the help of the local community, with the first one installed at the Usmani mosque and community centre in Kitchener Road.
Shabir Ibrahim, director of local opticians S.I Opticals, has been supporting the Heartshield project to identify community venues for the five defibrillators. He said: “I’m extremely delighted that local communities will benefit from this initiative and extend my heartfelt thanks to the Heartshield project.
“This will enable us to create a much greater coverage across Leicester and save vital seconds. In an emergency, it could be the difference between life and death.”
Lord Mayor of Leicester Cllr Teresa Aldred, who has chosen JHMT as one of the charities she is supporting during her year in office, said: “I’m delighted to support the Heartshield project and JHMT, especially during SADS Week. It’s wonderful to see our local communities working together to help get these new defibrillators in place, and our thanks go to JHMT for their generous donation of this equipment.”
Cllr Vi Dempster, assistant city mayor for public health, said: “Around 30,000 people in Leicester live with at least one cardiovascular condition, so it’s really important that we do all we can to make Leicester a heart-safe city. By installing more community defibrillators and training people in how to use them, we can increase survival rates.”
JHMT medical trustee Dr Mike Ferguson said: “Currently in the UK, there are 60,000 cardiac arrests per year - that’s one every 10 seconds. Half of these are witnessed, yet only 10% survive. To improve mortality rates, it's vitally important that publicly-accessible defibrillators are readily available in case of a cardiac emergency, and that people learn how to use them and how to give CPR.
“JHMT’s donation of an extra 30 defibs and cabinets to the Heartshield programme will help to increase increase provision, especially in those areas of the community identified as having very limited access to this key lifesaving equipment.”
Councillors in Leicester recently learned more about the Heartshield project at a hands-on awareness-raising session hosted by the Lord Mayor.
The remaining 25 defibrillators will be installed in the coming months across Leicester, in places where AED coverage is needed, and with the help of local community groups.
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