Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 14 December 2021
Before I start, I draw members’ attention to my entry in the register of members’ interests as I am a serving member of West Dunbartonshire Council.
I congratulate Jenni Minto on securing this debate on an issue that I know is very close to her heart. It is important to take the opportunity to raise awareness of the need for more accessible defibrillators in our communities. According to the British Heart Foundation, fewer than one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, and it is calling on us to act to reduce two factors in relation to that tragic statistic. The first reason is that there are not enough people who feel prepared and confident enough to perform CPR, and, the second is that there are not enough defibrillators.
I have a strong interest in promoting the accessibility of this life-saving equipment not just in my role as a councillor on West Dunbartonshire Council but on a personal level, having lost my own father to a cardiac arrest at the age of 52. Had defibrillators been more readily available, the outcome might have been more positive.
In 2017, I was delighted to launch a campaign to compile a list of defibrillators that are available in public buildings or in the ownership of businesses, organisations and groups across West Dunbartonshire. I was able to follow that up by securing £50,000 from the council and £25,000 from the West Dunbartonshire health and social care partnership. The funding was used to ensure that there is a good geographical spread of automatic external defibrillators throughout the local authority.
I thank my colleagues on West Dunbartonshire Council for the cross-party support on this important issue. There are things that can unite us, and the gains from this important work are there for all to see. In fact, in recent weeks I chaired a meeting of the council’s defibrillator working group, during which we managed to secure another defibrillator for the Linnvale community group in Clydebank. We will help the group to get it installed in a prominent position in the area.
We have real experience in our working group, and the members’ continuing efforts are helping to save lives. On the working group are: Sheena Nelson, the heartstart co-ordinator from Helensburgh & Local District CPR/Defibrillator Association; Dr Jan Chesham, who represents the Trossachs Search and Rescue Team, which has developed an app; and Anne Harrison from the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Also in the group is Brian Martin, who is a retired paramedic. Brian collapsed while playing football at Scotstoun leisure centre and owes his life to his colleagues from the Scottish Ambulance Service. Following successful fundraising events by Brian and his colleagues, a defibrillator had been installed in the centre just weeks prior to his collapse, and that defibrillator was used to save his life.
My thanks also go to my constituent Norma Docherty, who lost her son to sudden arrhythmic death syndrome in 2011. Norma fundraised in her son’s memory to install defibrillators in his former primary and high schools.
Overall, there are now 220 publicly accessible defibrillators across the area between Clydebank and Garelochside. Each has a dedicated guardian who looks after it and checks that it is in good working order.
In addition, I commend the excellent work of the Milngavie Community First Responders, which is a volunteer group in the Milngavie and Bearsden area that responds to specific 999 calls prior to the arrival of an ambulance. With more than 600 call-outs to date, it is a lifeline service for our community in the drive to save lives.
We all know about the serious levels of heart disease, and that access to the machines can increase survival rates. In West Dunbartonshire, 28 lives have been saved to date through publicly accessible defibrillators being installed throughout our communities. Of those defibrillators, 11 were used during lockdown. Our work has shown how important it is to take ownership of the issue. We know that doing so saves lives.
I also congratulate heartstart projects in Argyll and Clyde on winning the volunteer of the year award at the Scottish health awards ceremony, which was recently held in Edinburgh. The heartstart projects continue to deliver emergency life support and defibrillator awareness training.
I am really proud of all the volunteers in my community who continue to work so hard and to dedicate their time to the cause. It has been an honour and a privilege to share their experiences on their behalf in Parliament.
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