Skip to content

University and Ambulance Service helping to save lives in Gloucestershire

As part of the Stop the Heartbreak campaign, local businesses and communities are being encouraged to consider purchasing defibrillators and specially designed cabinets to house them securely.

Diane Crone, professor of exercise science at the University of Gloucestershire, said: “This is an excellent opportunity for two large local organisations to work together to enhance the health of the citizens of Gloucestershire. The promotion of defibrillators in the community saves lives and this is important to us all.”

Rob Horton, responder manager for SWASFT, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire and a number of other agencies across the county to help save lives. When someone is in cardiac arrest every second counts and early defibrillation really can make the difference between life and death. The benefit of working in partnership with other organisations is that we can work together to raise awareness of this important issue and ensure that as many automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are available at as many locations as possible, especially in more rural areas.”

Further information about purchasing defibrillators, including a defibrillator package which includes the Cardiac Science G5 defibrillator, a CHT mild steel cabinet, safety kit, wall signage, training support and full governance through the WebNos Governance system, can be obtained by visiting SWASFT’s website or emailing stoptheheartbreak@glos.ac.uk.

The University’s Stop the Heartbreak campaign works in conjunction with the charity Cardiac Risk in the Young to raise money and arrange screening to identify young people (aged 14-35) at risk of sudden cardiac death. The University are hosting a public lecture about the subject on 23 June at their Park campus, Cheltenham. To be delivered by Diane Crone and Eve Scarle (senior lecturer in sport and physical activity), ‘Managing cardiac risk in young people’ will be exploring what causes sudden cardiac death in young people, the role of screening and the common misconceptions associated with this area of health heart.

The lecture is free for anybody to attend. Register for your free ticket online via EventBrite.