THE chances of visitors to two Wyre Forest leisure centres dying from heart attacks have decreased due to the installation of life-saving equipment.

Wyre Forest Glades and Stourport Sports Centre have invested in an automated external defibrillator (AED) which can be the difference between life and death.

A patients chance of survival decreases 10 per cent for every one minute that passes without aid of a defibrillation device, but the application of an AED within five minutes of collapse gives the patient the best possible chance of survival.

Stuart Booton, contract manager, said: “We take our health, safety and welfare responsibilities very seriously indeed.

“The introduction of defibrillators into the sites further demonstrates this commitment to the well-being of our customers and the local community.”

When a person has a cardiac arrest and loses consciousness, an AED delivers an electronic pulse through the chest, in an attempt to restore normal heart rhythm.

Access to a defibrillator at both sites means life-saving actions can be carried out before an ambulance has arrived.

Staff at both leisure centres have received training on how to correctly use the equipment.