Defibrillators in public places and doctors’ surgeries
We have been contacted by a supermarket store manager, who had to stand and watch the paramedics try to save the life of a man, who collapsed outside his store. The paramedics “worked†on the elderly gentleman for 40 minutes but could not resuscitate him.
The store manager was traumatised by the incident, primarily because he was informed by the paramedic in attendance that if the store had a defibrillator, there was a very real chance the man would have survived.
More surprisingly, we have learned that most doctors’ surgeries do not have defibrillators on the premises – that is an appalling state of affairs.
“Whistle Blowers†does not have the time to contact every major retail outlet, shopping mall or doctors’ surgery in the UK to ask them if they have defibrillators available for public use and if they do not, ask them for an explanation.
More research has to be completed into the availability of defibrillators in public places before we can campaign for a national policy. We need your help!
We are asking members of the public to make enquiries on our behalf and become “citizen journalistsâ€. We need you to ask very simple questions; whenever you visit a shop, shopping mall, department store and of course a doctor’s surgery (or any place where the public gather) please ask this question, “Do you have a defibrillator on the premises or do you have one readily available?â€Â If the answer is “No†then ask them why they feel it unnecessary to offer their patrons or patients that life-saving facility.
Please contact us with your results – together we can fight the complacency and save lives.