Charity cuts price of lifesaving gadget (From York Press)

Charity cuts price of lifesaving gadget

7:54am Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Health & Wellbeing

A FIRST aid charity has cut the cost of a vital piece of emergency medical equipment in a bid to encourage businesses and organisations in North Yorkshire to help save lives.

St John Ambulance wants to see more automated external defibrillators (AEDs) fitted within companies and places such as GP and dentist’s surgeries, leisure facilities and shopping centres as they could prevent a tragedy if a person’s heart stops beating.

To coincide with National Heart Month, which runs through February, the charity has introduced a new lower price, £1,695, for the device and comprehensive training for up to eight people. The machines shock the heart back into action and can be operated by anybody, regardless of their first aid knowledge.

Fred Owen, north east regional training manager for St John Ambulance, said: “We believe nobody should die because of a lack of first aid when they need it.

“The survival rate increases by more than 50 per cent if an AED is used within the first four minutes, so immediate defibrillation could be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.”