New initiative to help first response teams

From next week some police cars in Ealing will carry defibrillators in a bid to help save more lives.

The scheme, piloted by London Ambulance Service and Metropolitan Police Service, will see 33 defibrillators added to police vehicles and stations in the borough, allowing officers to respond alongside the ambulance service to people in cardiac arrest.

Chris Hartley-Sharpe, Head of First Responders at London Ambulance Service said “We’re committed to providing the best possible care for all of our patients and are always looking for new ways to improve patient outcomes.

“This initiative is a fantastic opportunity for the emergency services to work together and share resources, saving more lives across Ealing. Police officers will be alerted to a potential cardiac arrest alongside our ambulance crews, which means that if they are in a closer proximity, they can respond first.

“We know that around 32 per cent of people survive a cardiac arrest in a public place but, where there is a defibrillator and someone trained to use it, the chance of survival can increase to 80 per cent. The more people available to respond to these types of incidents, the better.”

The pilot is the latest in a number of initiatives supported by the London Ambulance Service to increase cardiac arrest survival rates in the Capital. Last year, the ambulance service launched a campaign which saw over 1,000 accredited defibrillators added to shops, gyms and businesses across London.

More recently, the Service embarked on an exciting new partnership with the internationally acclaimed GoodSAM app, in which clinically trained ambulance staff and members of the public trained to an approved standard are able to sign up as volunteers to respond to life-threatening emergency calls, including cardiac arrests.

Chief Superintendent Paul Martin from Metropolitan Police Service said: “We are dedicated to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of the people of Ealing. We’re delighted to be able to work alongside London Ambulance Service as part of this initiative. In Ealing, we have 265 police officers who are now able to respond to these critical calls, potentially saving even more lives."

During the pilot, which will run between December 2015 and May 2016, it’s thought that police officers will be able to respond to 12-13 potential cardiac arrests every week, as part of a dual response with London Ambulance Service.

November 24th 2015