Latest news with #defibrillator
BBC News
a day ago
- Health
- BBC News
Hove mourners to remember man who modernised paramedics
Mourners will pause to remember the man dubbed the "father of the paramedic profession" at his funeral in Hove Douglas Chamberlain, 94, is credited with professionalising paramedics when he trained the first six "ambulance men" in Brighton in March acclaimed cardiologist died on 22 May and will be remembered at the Sacred Heart Church in Norton Road Lindridge, chief paramedic officer for South East Coast Ambulance Service, said: "Secamb is very proud and is fortunate to have had an extremely close working relationship with Professor Chamberlain for many years and he will be remembered extremely fondly by colleagues past and present." She added: "It is clear that Douglas's legacy will continue to inspire colleagues in Secamb and beyond and we thank him for his dedication and expertise in improving pre-hospital cardiac care."Dr Chamberlain first trained six men to use defibrillators in ambulances in also taught them how to interpret electrocardiograms (ECGs) and administer emergency training paved the way for the paramedic profession and became what is today the South East Coast Ambulance one of the original six ambulance men is still alive, Robin Friday, who retired from Secamb in 2020, Secamb named its new Make Ready Centre in Chamberlain House, Woollards Way, Brighton, after Dr Chamberlain in recognition of his Bryan Williams OBE, chief scientific and medical officer for the British Heart Foundation, said: "Douglas paved the way for countless lives to be saved."His relentless passion and drive throughout his exemplary career, continues to inspire the generations that have come after him to persevere with improving the survival rates from cardiac arrest."Colleagues who had the pleasure of working with Douglas remember him fondly for his sharp intellect and excellent wit and sense of humour."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Warwickshire Police cars to get more defibrillators after campaign
Defibrillators will be installed in 28 specialist police cars across Warwickshire following a Police said the Home Office initially offered forces across the country 14 defibrillators each but following negotiations, the county was awarded lifesaving devices will be placed in the force's dog and firearms follows a campaign by the OurJay Foundation which was set up after the death of 18-year-old Jamie Rees, from Wolvey. The charity wants defibrillators in more police vehicles across the UK. Naomi Rees-Issitt described how officers were first on scene when her son collapsed but despite administering CPR, were unable to save later said Jamie might have lived if officers or the public had had quicker access to a mum said: "If [police] had just had that defibrillator in their vehicle, there was a really good chance that Jamie would have got defibrillation much quicker and could probably be standing here today." Her charity is campaigning for Jamie's Law, which would see defibrillators become mandatory in a higher percentage of police vehicles across the country."They are being put in literally this week, which is fantastic, and we're working with Warwickshire Police on installing accessible defibrillators across all the police stations in Warwickshire as well."Assistant chief constable Clare Armes said the force would have "more devices out there to save lives".She said officers and PCSOs could be first at the scene of emergencies and often had to administer first aid until it was safe for other agencies to come in."Many lives have been saved over the years because officers and staff have administered CPR and other emergency first aid," she said. "We see these defibs as another part of our first aid toolkit." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
Shropshire firefighter praised for saving life of cricketer
An off-duty firefighter has been praised for helping to save the life of a cricketer who had suffered a cardiac Wilson, 41, had been watching his son make his senior debut at Wellington cricket club in Shropshire on Saturday when one of the visiting team the player's son administered CPR, Mr Wilson used the club's defibrillator to help him Wilson had been trained by the fire service to use the equipment and said: "I was straight into trauma incident mode I guess." The cricketer, 59-year-old Simon Parker from Calverhall Cricket Club, had been batting in the match against Wellington's fourth team when he suddenly Wilson said: "I can remember the over had just finished and Simon, I could see, had just turned around to talk to our wicketkeeper."He said he turned away for a minute and then heard shouts for first aid and saw Mr Parker lying on the added that he ran over to help and found Mr Parker's son, Alex, performing captain, Oliver Griffiths, said watching it all unfold had been "pretty horrific"."Watching a son try and save his dad's life was quite emotional and it still affects me a little bit now," he added."He was saying come on, I'm not letting you go, come back to me." 'Calm management' Mr Wilson said Shropshire Fire and Rescue Service trained its firefighters "to a relatively high level for trauma and first response care".He set up the defibrillator and operated it, with Wellington Cricket Club praising him for his "calm management of the situation".He said: "I just got in there and helped and guided people and we did what needed to get done I suppose."After shocking Mr Parker three times with the defibrillator, an ambulance Griffiths said: "They were very clear that by the time they arrived the hard work had been done and people like Matt and Alex had saved Simon's life."He added that he had spoken to Mr Parker on Tuesday and he was doing "very, very well" and had thanked everyone who helped said one of the first questions he asked was "How many runs did I score?" and noted that Mr Parker was disappointed they had not won the Griffiths said that was typical of the man, but there were "much bigger things than cricket". Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Superfit 43-year-old left fighting for her life after shock cardiac arrest - there was a warning sign EVERYONE should know
A superfit personal trainer who collapsed from a sudden cardiac arrest has issued a stark warning: don't ignore tiredness—as it could be a sign of deadly heart problems. Emma Houldsworth, 43, had been out walking her dog near her home in Leeds, West Yorkshire, on April 26 when she suddenly felt exhausted and sat down on the pavement—before blacking out and stopping breathing. Her partner Paul Tilley, who had learned first aid while working as a nightclub bouncer, rushed to perform CPR – breaking three of Emma's ribs in the process. 'Luckily my partner knows CPR so he pulled me away from the wall and started chest compressions,' said Ms Houldworth. 'He still had the dog, so he was trying to get him in between his legs. He started shouting and then there was an off-duty nurse who was passing. 'She took over the CPR, somebody else came over and took the dog and another person ran to fetch the defibrillator from the working men's club up the road. 'An ambulance came and they were trying to keep me alive at the side of the road. 'It's just great that my partner acted so quickly and that he knew CPR because if he didn't then I wouldn't be here now. 'Without all of those people working together it would have been a very different story.' Emma was shocked with a defibrillator three times before her heart began beating again. She was rushed to Leeds General Infirmary and placed in intensive care for three nights. She said: 'Sometimes we'll go hiking in the mountains where we're far away from people so luckily we were in the street just up from where we live and there were plenty of people around. 'I'm just so grateful. It's like it was meant to be that that nurse was passing at the time. 'There are lots of circumstances where things could have been really different—it's just really lucky that things happened in the way that they did on that day.' Emma, who works long hours as a PT, says she had no major symptoms in the lead-up to her collapse—only tiredness and a feeling of being 'run down'. 'I'm really healthy, I really look after myself. I eat really well and exercise regularly. 'But I often work 13-hour days and I'm quite stressed a lot of the time. I wasn't prioritising my own self care - all of things that I encourage my clients to do. 'I think that contributed [to the cardiac arrest]. 'In the days beforehand I was feeling pretty run down and tired but I didn't listen to my body and just pushed through it. 'They were the only kind of warning signs that things weren't right.' Each year in the UK, around 30,000 people suffer a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital — and fewer than one in ten survive to 30 days. In the US, the numbers are even starker: more than 350,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest every year, and around 90% of them die. That's roughly 1,000 sudden collapses a day—often with no prior warning. Cardiac arrest is different from a heart attack. It occurs when the heart's electrical system malfunctions and suddenly stops beating—and unless CPR and defibrillation are given within minutes, it is almost always fatal. While it is more common in older adults, cardiac arrest can strike at any age—even in people who appear fit and healthy. In fact, around one in ten out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK happen in people aged under 45. Risk factors include high blood pressure, stress, overwork, undiagnosed heart conditions, and even extreme physical exertion. Some victims, like Emma, have no prior diagnosis—making early warning signs such as persistent tiredness, dizziness, or fainting episodes all the more important to recognise. CPR performed by a bystander can double or triple survival chances, but fewer than half of those who collapse outside hospital receive it before emergency crews arrive. Since her cardiac arrest, Emma has been fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator to help regulate her heartbeat—and is now focused on slowing down and looking after her own health. 'I want to work less hours and concentrate on making sure that I'm getting enough rest. 'I also want to concentrate on my training, getting out on walks, going to yoga and spending time with the people I love—all of the things that I enjoy. 'This experience has definitely shifted my priorities. 'It's taught me that you can't just brush things off when you're busy, or try and push through when you're run down. 'It's about listening to your body. If something's feeling off then it probably is so it's about prioritising yourself and not just looking after other people the other time and making sure you're looking after yourself. 'I always thought that when people have heart problems that it just affected old people or that it was from years of smoking and drinking or not looking after themselves. 'I love walking and hiking and training. I eat well and I do look after myself so I never thought that anything like that would happen to me.'
BBC News
4 days ago
- BBC News
Lingdale defibrillator stolen, Cleveland Police says
A third publicly accessible defibrillator has been stolen within a matter of days, police machine, which is used to give a high-energy shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest, is believed to have been taken from the Lingdale Community Centre, on Teesside, on others were stolen from the civic centre in nearby Skelton and the Methodist church in Skelton Green on 9 Neil Deluce, of Cleveland Police, said: "These machines cost thousands of pounds and are an essential community asset which could potentially save a life." He urged people in the Stanghow Road area of Lingdale to check doorbell, dashcam and CCTV the initial two thefts, officers issued a description of a man they want to speak who is white, between 20-35 years old, with a large build and wearing a grey top, black bottoms, a black cap and white trainers. Follow BBC Tees on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
