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London Ambulance Charity has been awarded a grant of £142,000 to fund nearly 60 defibrillators for local neighbourhoods.
The funds, awarded by NHS Charities Together, will be used to boost a pioneering campaign that aims to give Londoners the best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest in the capital.
The London Heart Starters campaign is striving to fund 200 defibrillators in areas of the capital where they are needed most. These life-saving devices when used by a member of the public make a crucial difference when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.
“This grant will really bolster the Heart Starters campaign and fund nearly 60 defibrillators for the local communities in desperate need of these devices. I’d also like to thank everyone who took part in the draw for helping to give our patients the best possible chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.
“We’re calling on Londoners to help their neighbours and loved ones by hosting a defibrillator in their communities. A person who has a defibrillator used on them by a bystander is nearly four times more likely to survive a cardiac arrest.
“These devices are incredibly easy to operate and gives people in life-threatening emergencies the best chance of survival when used quickly.”
Sam Palfreyman-Jones, Head of Community Resuscitation and Paramedic at London Ambulance Service.
Londoners can also support fundraising efforts either by collecting money and donating it to the London Ambulance Charity, sponsoring a defibrillator, or by taking part in our fundraising events, such as the Big Stadium Abseil on 14 March. This adrenaline-pumped challenge invites thrill-seekers to scale 42 metres down Tottenham Hotspur’s football stadium.
Last year, analysis by the London Ambulance Service revealed that dozens of neighbourhoods are ‘defibrillator deserts’ – where there is little or no access to a life saving device.
The data has revealed large discrepancies between communities in outcomes for cardiac arrest and the availability of life-saving devices. Households in more deprived areas are more likely to be in an area in greater need of additional defibrillators.
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