Website pinpoints where nearest defibrillators can be found (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Website pinpoints where nearest defibrillators can be found

10:10am Sunday 11th March 2012 in Local

By Charlotte Lilley

WEST Midlands Ambulance Service has worked with Safeheart UK and charity Community Heartbeat to launch a website that could save lives.

The new website, defibfinder.co.uk, allows users to search for their nearest defibrillator by typing in their postcode or area name and provides directions to the location either by car or foot.

Duncan Parsonage, community response manager for West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “I would urge everyone to spend just a few minutes on this website to familiarise themselves as to where their nearest defibrillator is.

“Should anyone you know ever suffer a cardiac arrest your first port of call should always be to dial 999 and commence CPR but, more often than not in such situations, there are other people in around who could help by fetching a defibrillator.

“Eighty-five percent of those people who suffer cardiac arrests have the ability to be corrected by defibrillation.

“The quicker someone is defibrillated not only improves the chance of their survival but it can also help to improve the chances of a patient’s full recovery and reduce the time to do so.”

Jim O’Halleran, chairman of Safeheart UK, said: “We are delighted that through working in partnership with West Midlands Ambulance Service and the Community Heartbeat charity we have achieved this first step towards the creation of a national database of public access defibrillators.

“If this website can help save lives then the work put into creating it will have been well worth all the effort.”

For further information email Duncan.parsonage@wmas.nhs.uk or visit wmas.nhs.uk