Defibrillators for dental surgeries 30/3/14
Life-saving defibrillators are to be installed in every NHS dental practice in the
Western Isles under a Scottish Government scheme.
The initiative aims to save more people who have a heart attack in the community.
Over 1500 Scots died after a cardiac arrest out-with hospital last year.
This £1 million scheme aims to reduce this figure by having almost 1000 more defibrillators
in public spaces.
The machines will also be mapped on to the Scottish Ambulance Service control system
to enable ambulance call handlers to direct the public to the practice while an ambulance
is on its way.
At the moment, only five per cent of people who have a cardiac arrest in the community
survive, and every minute of delay cuts their chances.
A defibrillator can be used by any member of the public to deliver an electric shock
to the chest as quickly as possible to restore a person’s heart to a normal rhythm
after a cardiac arrest. The easy-to-use machines will be in place by the end of August.
Minister for Public Health Michael Matheson said: "Every second counts when someone's
heart goes into cardiac arrest and having access to a defibrillator can mean the
difference between life and death.
“As these machines are becoming easier to use it is only right that the public have
more access to its life-saving potential in any public places.”