Hywel Dda University Health Board have announced that members of the public now have access to four new defibrillators on each of its main hospital sites.
These are at Glangwili Hospital in Carmarthen at the main entrance by the hospital sign, Prince Philip Hospital in Llanelli by the bus stop at the entrance to the hospital, Bronglais Hospital in Aberystwyth by the pharmacy entrance and Withybush Hospital in Haverfordwest at the roundabout on the main entrance.
The health board says this has been made possible by collaboration between the health board and Save a Life Cymru to install public access defibrillators for use in the community.
(Images: Hywel Dda University Health Board)
It added that for every minute that CPR and defibrillation is not commenced the chance of survival decreases by 10%. Immediate CPR and early defibrillation can significantly increase survival.
Save a Life Cymru provided the four defibrillators at no cost to the health board. The defibrillators are housed in heated cabinets and will be checked regularly by volunteer ‘guardians’. Each public access defibrillator is registered with the National Defibrillator Network (The Circuit) and this means that should they be needed, the 999 ambulance call taker will be able to direct someone to them.
The defibrillators are said to be really easy to use and offer voice prompts. In the event of a cardiac arrest, members of the public will need to call 999. They will be advised where the nearest defibrillator is located and to follow the instructions provided (visual, phone, defibrillator) while performing CPR and providing defibrillation. Never stop CPR, always send someone else to fetch the defibrillator for you.
Professor Len Nokes, Chair of Save a Life Cymru said: “We are delighted to have provided new public access defibrillators at four key locations on the Hywel Dda estate. This gives the surrounding communities and visitors to these sites 24/7 access to lifesaving defibrillators. We know that for every minute someone’s in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%.
“Marc Gower, our Save a Life Cymru’s Community Co-ordinator in west Wales, will be supporting the defibrillator guardians to make sure defibrillators continue to be registered on The Circuit so that their locations are made available to the Welsh Ambulance Service. This will ensure that the 999 call takers can direct a bystander to a registered defibrillator and help save more lives.”
Dr Eiry Edmunds, Interim Deputy Medical Director for Acute for the health board said: “I am proud of our collaboration with Save a Life Cymru to ensure public access defibrillators are available at our hospital sites. This collaboration provides potentially lifesaving equipment for our communities.”
Mark Henwood, Executive Medical Director at the health board, said: “I am very pleased to hear that we are the second health board in Wales to engage with Save a Life Cymru to provide public access defibrillators. This will be a great development for the health of our communities and will save lives. I wish to personally thank Save a Life Cymru, all those individuals who have donated and also the volunteer guardians.”
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