Sunderland to get 29 new life saving defibrillators

The defibrillators have been funded by Healthy Cities money allocated by Sunderland Health and Wellbeing Board working in partnership with the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), the North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS), the British Heart Foundation and the Red Sky Foundation.

This comes after Sunderland City Council, the Integrated Care Board and North East Ambulance Service collaborated on a proposal to increase the number of CPAD defibrillator sites, Community First Responder schemes, and public awareness around cardiac arrest and their role in increasing the chance of survival.  

Sites for the new machines, which can help restore the heart rhythm when someone goes into cardiac arrest, have been carefully chosen with the help of data from the British Heart Foundation to reach the maximum number of people in areas of greatest need.

All the defibrillators have been registered on The Circuit - the national defibrillator network - that enables 999 call handlers to direct bystanders to the nearest registered defibrillator. 

The funding will also support the creation of five Community First Responder schemes. This will see volunteers trained and dispatched by North East Ambulance Service to respond to medical emergencies including cardiac arrest prior to the arrival of the ambulance.

Dispatched at the same time as the ambulance, Community First Responders often arrive first and can provide early interventions in the crucial first minutes of an emergency, providing care and support to both the patient and their family.

In the North East there are 2,300 out of hospital cardiac arrests each year. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival. Every minute without (CPR) and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to ten per cent. 

Sunderland currently has 300 defibrillators, which at 10.9 per 10,000 population, is lower than the average of 15.4 defibrillators per 10,000 population. This includes 30 defibrillators which have recently been brought back online. The additional 29 defibrillators being installed as part of this scheme will bring that figure up to 11.9 defibrillators per 10,000, bringing it nearer to the national average.

Councillor Kelly Chequer who chairs Sunderland Health and Wellbeing Board and is also Cabinet Member for Healthy City at Sunderland City Council: "This is about giving our residents the best chance of survival if they have a cardiac arrest by increasing the availability of defibrillators in our communities, as well as making sure that there are more volunteers trained to use them and increasing public awareness.

"We have worked closely with the British Heart Foundation and the Integrated Care Board to make sure these life saving devices will be located in areas where they are needed the most. 

"Together, we've identified pockets in our community where access to defibrillators is limited or non-existent. Through careful collaboration and strategic planning, we're ensuring that these life-saving devices will be purposefully located in areas where they're needed most. This joint project is aimed at making a significant impact by enhancing the survival chances of anyone experiencing cardiac arrest.

"This is a pivotal moment for our community's health and well-being. By deploying defibrillators where they're most crucial, we're taking proactive steps to safeguard lives and promote a healthier, more resilient Sunderland. Together, we're making strides towards a safer and more supportive environment for all."

Simon Dunn, Head of The Circuit Operations at the British Heart Foundation, said: "There are more than 30,000 cardiac arrests in the UK each year, but the overall survival rate is less than one-in-ten.

"It means that thousands of families each year must experience the pain of losing a loved one. By improving the availability of defibrillators and empowering local communities to respond to an emergency this project will save lives and keep families together longer."

Sergio Petrucci MBE, founder of the Red Sky Foundation, who is installing the defibrillators for free, said: "Our goals are to give people better access to lifesaving cardiac equipment.  We've been running a campaign over the last three years placing over 600 defibrillators and running an effective education programme.  We visit local schools, workplaces and community centres encouraging healthy living to improve heart health and give access to free life saving skills. The collaboration between us all is key to saving lives and helping to keep hearts beating stronger across Sunderland." 

The first two of the 29 new defibrillators have been installed at Houghton Pharmacy, Queensway, Houghton le Spring and Bethel Christian Fellowship Church, Thorndale, Thorney Close with the remaining units expected to be in place over the coming months.

Efforts are also being made to ensure that every defibrillator has a guardian. Being a defibrillator guardian involves:

• Making sure it is correctly registered with The Circuit, the UK's national defibrillator network which maps defibrillators across the UK so that the ambulance services can direct a bystander to the nearest one in an emergency
• Checking it regularly to ensure it is still where it should be and that is ready for use in an emergency 
• All guardians will be offered training following defibrillator installation

If you are interested in being trained to be a guardian, please contact Sergio Petrucci at the Red Sky Foundation: sergio@redskyfoundation.com

To find out more about becoming a community first responder, visit: Community First Responders :: North East Ambulance Service (neas.nhs.uk)

To learn CPR in 15 minutes for free visit www.redskyfoundation.com

20 March 2024