Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 29 May 2013
29 May 2013 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
Automatic External Defibrillators
I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on bringing the debate to the Parliament.
I have spoken in the Parliament about the use of AEDs in Scotland, so I welcome the opportunity to make a small contribution to the debate. When I spoke in November 2011 in my members’ business debate on the heartstart campaign that was being run by the British Heart Foundation and North Lanarkshire Council, I talked about the need to introduce emergency life-support training in schools throughout Scotland. I asked whether we could afford not to do such a thing. Since 2011, a number of schools have taken part in the training. However, it is still not a universal service throughout Scotland. The curriculum for excellence provides schools with the opportunity to add that training to the school day, but I would encourage the Scottish Government to do more in that regard so that, from now on, no pupil goes without ELS training.
During that debate, I spoke about the heartstart campaign that is run by North Lanarkshire Council and led by the healthy lifestyle co-ordinator, Charles Fawcett. I told the chamber that a pilot was being run at St Ambrose high school in Coatbridge to better educate staff and pupils in the use of defibrillators. At that time, defibrillators—or AEDs—were not an integral part of the school building. That is why I was delighted to learn that North Lanarkshire Council had installed AEDs in all its 24 secondary schools—the first local authority in Scotland to do so. The cost of that initiative is £70,000. As we have heard, it is partly funded by North Lanarkshire Council, NHS Lanarkshire and Amey. The cost is nothing in comparison to the value that we get from a generation of life-savers in our communities.
For every minute that passes without defibrillation in the aftermath of a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decrease by 14 per cent. It is therefore essential that AEDs become more widely available. Ideally, they would be held in all public buildings, along transport routes, in private gyms and in all workplaces. I know that I am not alone in calling for those measures. Other members have mentioned that tonight and organisations such as the British Heart Foundation and AEDs in Scotland have also called for action. I hope that, in his closing speech, the minister will be able to commit to action on the matter.
I have recently had the opportunity to attend two heartstart ELS training sessions in Lanarkshire. Those sessions were carried out by a volunteer from St Andrew’s First Aid. One session was given to young carers. I do not have to explain to members how vital that session was to those young people. The other session was given to teachers in order to train them in the use of the new AEDs. Those are essential sessions, which I have found invaluable. As members know, due to my disability, I have the use of only one hand. As a result, I have always shied away from going forward for a first aid course. However, from those sessions I now know some basic first aid. More important, I know that I can use AEDs very easily—far more easily than heart compressions. Without the education that programmes such as that offer, many of us would not be able to help if called on in an emergency. I therefore call on the minister to establish a programme of such training across Scotland.
I congratulate North Lanarkshire Council and Charles Fawcett on the initiatives that they have introduced. I congratulate the heartstart campaign on providing ELS training throughout schools in Scotland and I congratulate Margaret Mitchell again on bringing the debate to the Parliament. I hope that AEDs will be in all our schools the next time we debate this important issue.
17:33
I have spoken in the Parliament about the use of AEDs in Scotland, so I welcome the opportunity to make a small contribution to the debate. When I spoke in November 2011 in my members’ business debate on the heartstart campaign that was being run by the British Heart Foundation and North Lanarkshire Council, I talked about the need to introduce emergency life-support training in schools throughout Scotland. I asked whether we could afford not to do such a thing. Since 2011, a number of schools have taken part in the training. However, it is still not a universal service throughout Scotland. The curriculum for excellence provides schools with the opportunity to add that training to the school day, but I would encourage the Scottish Government to do more in that regard so that, from now on, no pupil goes without ELS training.
During that debate, I spoke about the heartstart campaign that is run by North Lanarkshire Council and led by the healthy lifestyle co-ordinator, Charles Fawcett. I told the chamber that a pilot was being run at St Ambrose high school in Coatbridge to better educate staff and pupils in the use of defibrillators. At that time, defibrillators—or AEDs—were not an integral part of the school building. That is why I was delighted to learn that North Lanarkshire Council had installed AEDs in all its 24 secondary schools—the first local authority in Scotland to do so. The cost of that initiative is £70,000. As we have heard, it is partly funded by North Lanarkshire Council, NHS Lanarkshire and Amey. The cost is nothing in comparison to the value that we get from a generation of life-savers in our communities.
For every minute that passes without defibrillation in the aftermath of a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decrease by 14 per cent. It is therefore essential that AEDs become more widely available. Ideally, they would be held in all public buildings, along transport routes, in private gyms and in all workplaces. I know that I am not alone in calling for those measures. Other members have mentioned that tonight and organisations such as the British Heart Foundation and AEDs in Scotland have also called for action. I hope that, in his closing speech, the minister will be able to commit to action on the matter.
I have recently had the opportunity to attend two heartstart ELS training sessions in Lanarkshire. Those sessions were carried out by a volunteer from St Andrew’s First Aid. One session was given to young carers. I do not have to explain to members how vital that session was to those young people. The other session was given to teachers in order to train them in the use of the new AEDs. Those are essential sessions, which I have found invaluable. As members know, due to my disability, I have the use of only one hand. As a result, I have always shied away from going forward for a first aid course. However, from those sessions I now know some basic first aid. More important, I know that I can use AEDs very easily—far more easily than heart compressions. Without the education that programmes such as that offer, many of us would not be able to help if called on in an emergency. I therefore call on the minister to establish a programme of such training across Scotland.
I congratulate North Lanarkshire Council and Charles Fawcett on the initiatives that they have introduced. I congratulate the heartstart campaign on providing ELS training throughout schools in Scotland and I congratulate Margaret Mitchell again on bringing the debate to the Parliament. I hope that AEDs will be in all our schools the next time we debate this important issue.
17:33
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Elaine Smith)
Lab
The final item of business today is a members’ business debate on motion S4M-06362, in the name of Margaret Mitchell, on automatic external defibrillators in...
Margaret Mitchell (Central Scotland) (Con)
Con
The campaign for AEDs, or automatic external defibrillators, in Scotland is run by first-aiders Laura and Paul Macadam-Slater, who briefed MSPs about the iss...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Excuse me, Mrs Mitchell. Could I stop you for a moment? People who are leaving the gallery should do so quietly. Parliament is in session.
Margaret Mitchell
Con
The survival chances of people who are affected by cardiac arrest decrease by 14 per cent for every minute without defibrillation. Furthermore, 70 per cent o...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
Thank you very much. I apologise for the earlier interruption.I ask for four-minute speeches, as we are quite tight for time.17:12
Aileen McLeod (South Scotland) (SNP)
SNP
First, I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on securing the debate. I must also give my apologies, as I will have to leave the chamber before the minister respon...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh Northern and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on lodging this important motion and I look forward to the rest of the debate, including the minister’s speech, because the ...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
I must ask you to conclude.
Malcolm Chisholm
Lab
I ought to add that part of the training is about CPR, which might also be required. That wider education of young people is crucial, but having the devices ...
Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con)
Con
I, too, congratulate my colleague Margaret Mitchell on securing the debate so that we can acknowledge the work of the AEDs in Scotland campaign, which seeks ...
Stewart Stevenson (Banffshire and Buchan Coast) (SNP)
SNP
I am sure that it is a great relief to members that the Minister for Public Health is here to respond to the debate. As I recall, he was a member of Scotland...
Siobhan McMahon (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on bringing the debate to the Parliament.I have spoken in the Parliament about the use of AEDs in Scotland, so I welcome the...
Fiona McLeod (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (SNP)
SNP
I, too, thank Margaret Mitchell for bringing the debate to the Parliament. In following Siobhan McMahon, I remember her members’ business debate in November ...
The Minister for Public Health (Michael Matheson)
SNP
As others have done, I congratulate Margaret Mitchell on securing time for this important debate.The sudden and unexpected death of a young person that has b...