Harlow residents at risk due to lack of Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) say new councillor
Politics / Sun 27th May 2018 pm31 03:56pm
Newly elected Labour Councillor, Eugenie Harvey announces plans to increase availability
NEWLY elected Labour councillor, Eugenie Harvey today announced that her first initiative as Portfolio Holder for Community and Wellbeing will be to reduce the risk of death to residents who suffer from cardiac arrest in public places.
Councillor Harvey said; “I visited Little Acorns Pre-School in Purford Green with Councillor Ian Beckett as part of the Bush Fair Labour Team which also includes Councillor Mark Ingall.
“We were delighted to provide outstanding funding of £150 towards the cost of a defibrillator for the pre-school which currently has two children with heart conditions.
“During the visit I was shocked to learn that at least 12 cardiac arrests happen every week in people under the age of 35 and 270 children die from sudden cardiac arrest on school premises every year.
“I also learnt that around 30,000 people are struck by sudden cardiac arrest outside of a hospital environment and about 20 per cent of these occur in public places where, due to a lack of proximity to defibrillators, the victim is at most risk of death.
“But what shocked me most was that according to the East of England Ambulance Service data, Harlow is one of the few places in the East where there are no Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) available for use.
“In fact, if you live in one of our neighbouring villages, you’re likely to find one if not more, but there is not one that is publicly available in our entire town.
“This is not to say that many schools and medical institutions don’t have them, but these are not necessarily available to the public and certainly not 24/7.”
Early defibrillation can triple a victim’s chance of survival. Unlike CPR, which should also be administered in the case of cardiac arrest, a defibrillator can be used by someone without training. Typically PADS are located in disused phone boxes or other central and visible location within a community.
Councillor Harvey said; “As part of my work as Portfolio Holder for Community and Wellbeing, I plan to work with community groups to raise awareness of the importance of Public Access Defibrillators and to support them in fundraising and accessing grants that are available to them so that they may be installed.
“The British Heart Foundation offers grants to community groups to part fund the cost of a PAD and there may well be other sources of funding available which I intend looking into.”
Further information
https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/…service/…/Community-Public-Access-Defibrillators-in-E…
www.communityheartbeat.org.uk
https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/why-defibrillators-save-lives/
www.bhf.org.uk
JerryFromQueens
2018-05-27 16:38:41
I've been thinking about this issue quite a bit myself. Often is the time I visit other towns and cities where public defibrillators are in useful places like town centres and railway stations, but there is a sad lack of such provision in Harlow. This is a councillor making a good start in hitting the ground running by connecting with the concerns of local people, seamlessly carrying on her impressive campaign work into local government.
MickyB77
2018-05-28 06:03:44
Pity that this wasn't started in her own Churchgate Street, alongside the traffic calming scheme that she took on, then dumped for her own plan to get into the town hall. Disgraceful champagne socialist. As usual the man who thinks that, "i've been thinking etc", never ever mentioned this issue before. Coat tails?
JerryFromQueens
2018-05-28 09:29:19
Micky is the only man who can make a plan to save lives seem like a bad thing. I've been tracking his comments and his most vitriolic are aimed at women in the Labour movement. Something you want to tell us, darling? Not coat tails as you say, but a general idea of how we can make our society a better and safer place. A lot of people think this way.
MickyB77
2018-05-28 13:40:17
Another few murders this week-end. Diversity at work. "better and safer", even the police can't cope.
JerryFromQueens
2018-05-28 14:56:53
What are you on about now? Obviously changing the subject because your misogyny has been exposed.
MickyB77
2018-05-28 15:29:14
You quote that society is safer and better ? Check up the murders and which part of "society" appear mostly responsible. You appear totally blinkered like a cart horse on every issue. Contradiction and insults,young man, don't make you right.
JerryFromQueens
2018-05-28 15:39:53
No I said this would be a good idea to make our society safer, not that it was as safe as it could be. Go back and read. And the way you're referencing diversity as a reason for murder shows your true colours yet again. Not everything is the fault of people that don't look like you, Micky.
MickyB77
2018-05-29 11:32:48
Truth and clarity confuses.
JerryFromQueens
2018-05-29 16:45:18
Both confuse you? Good on you. The first step is admitting you have a problem.
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