Shadow Health Minister Darren Millar AM has joined calls for the Welsh Government, politicians, healthcare professionals, emergency services, third sector and the general public to take action in helping to save the many lives lost to sudden cardiac death in Wales.
Darren recently hosted the Welsh Assembly launch of the UK’s leading Heart Rhythm Charity, Arrhythmia Alliance’s report ‘Now is the time …for action to save lives.’
Wales has one of the lowest rates of survival from sudden cardiac arrest and around 7,760 people each year in Wales die unnecessarily after a sudden cardiac arrest. The Arrhythmia Alliance report outlines ways in which these lives can be saved.
Darren said:
“The report focuses on the first few minutes when someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest and the importance of CPR with the use of an AED. On its own CPR can save up to 10% of victims, however when an AED is used as well, this can increase survival to over 50% in people with a shockable heart rhythm.
“Up to 100,000 people die in the UK from sudden cardiac arrest each year, more than breast cancer, lung cancer, HIV and AIDs combined. Many of the elements needed to save the great majority of these lives already exist in the UK. Arrhythmia Alliance is committed to its aim that by 2020, more than 50% of sudden cardiac arrest victims in the UK, with a shockable heart rhythm, will return home to live a full life.”
Arrhythmia Alliance Founder and Trustee, Trudie Lobban MBE, said:
“Every six minutes someone in the UK suffers a sudden cardiac arrest and their chance of survival is less than 10% - in Wales less than 3% - yet in many other countries this person would have a 50% chance of life .This has to change, so we have asked why is this happening and what can be done to save these lives.”
“Our aim is that by 2020, 50% of people, with a shockable heart rhythm, will survive a sudden cardiac arrest in the UK and the report we have launched today, which underpins the manifesto launched during Heart Rhythm Week, sets out seven clear tasks to achieve this target.”
For more detail and a copies of the Arrhythmia Alliance manifesto and report – ‘Now Is the Time…for Action to Save Lives’ go to www.heartrhymcharity.org/manifesto
Picture caption – A-A Founder and Trustee Trudie Lobban with Darren Millar AM