The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is inviting people to special public events where they can learn lifesaving CPR.
The sessions - Swindon's is at the Brunel Centre from 10am to 3pm Saturday 19 October - are part of Restart a Heart Day.
This national day aims to raise awareness about cardiac arrest and helps people to learn CPR, giving them lifesaving skills and the confidence to use them.
At each event, people all ages can learn how to deliver lifesaving CPR and how to use and locate a defibrillator.
Members of the ambulance service including paramedics, emergency care assistants, volunteer community first responders and representatives of the Volunteering & Community Services Department will be on hand to answer any questions and share their extensive knowledge.
There will be in-depth CPR demonstrations for members of the public to join and take part in. Certificates will be given to everyone who completes the 15-minute CPR sessions.
The team say any time spent learning about CPR and defibrillation with the team will help towards increasing survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the region.
Ryan Ware, Deputy Head of Volunteering and Community Services at SWASFT, said: “This Restart a Heart Day, we want to empower people to know what to do, should the worst happen.A key focus for this year’s Restart a Heart Day is equal access to defibrillators.
“The chances of surviving a cardiac arrest are massively increased if a defibrillator is used. More than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen every year in the UK.
"Sadly, less than one in 10 people survive. Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival in some cases.
“We want more people to survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest by making sure everyone knows what to do when in an emergency situation where CPR and defibrillators are needed.
"By hosting events like Restart a Heart Day, we hope to share our knowledge and teach lifesaving skills to the public. We are looking forward to welcoming everyone to these exciting events!”
Those unable to attend can visit https://www.swast.nhs.uk/saving-lives-together to learn how to deliver CPR and where their nearest defibrillator is.
Restart a Heart Day takes place on and around 16 October each year.
Your Comments
Be the first to comment on this article
Login or Register to post a comment on this article