Ulster Unionist East Antrim representative Roy Beggs MLA has welcomed news that Asda are to place a defibrillator in their Redlands store in Larne along with every other of their stores. This initiative is to be rolled out in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Roy Beggs MLA said “I commend this partnership between Asda and the British Heart Foundation. The investment in defibrillators and in Staff training should increase the likelihood of surviving cardiac arrest. At present one in ten people survive, with over 60,000 instances every year in the UK On average, it takes 8 minutes for ambulance services to respond to life-threatening 999 calls. I am also aware that chance of survival falls by 10 percent for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, immediate action is needed to save a life. .”
An Asda spokesperson stated “We’re really proud of our investment of over £500,000 in providing life-saving defibrillators for all of the communities we operate in. It can take a number of minutes for an ambulance to reach one of our stores in response to an emergency like a cardiac arrest. The commitment we’re making today could significantly cut the amount of time a cardiac arrest sufferer has to wait for life-saving CPR and defibrillation, giving them the best possible chance of survival.”
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