Dorset's Air Ambulance wants us to prepare for medical emergencies
They're asking people to help them save lives
Last updated 29th Jul 2022
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance are launching a campaign to get people prepared if they are faced with a medical emergency in their homes.
Recent data from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation trust found that their services provided resuscitation attempts to 21,000 people. The majority of these patients needing resuscitation went into cardiac arrest in a private home.
A third of air ambulance missions last year went out to people experiencing cardiac arrest.
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance are therefore asking people to learn the steps they can take, including how to give CPR and use public defibrillators, in case they are caught in a medical emergency.
Air Ambulance staff, such as Ollie Zorab, says learning these skills are an important preventative measure.
“The majority of these incidents, so 75% which is 3 in 4 cases, happen in people’s homes,” Ollie says.
“So that gives us an opportunity to try and plan ahead and allow people to think about what they would do so if the worst happens to them or a family member, then they’re a bit more prepared to know what to do to help them.”
People can find out how to learn CPR by exploring the resources on the Save Lives Together campaign page here.
“Obviously if you know a bit more about what to do before you call, things like knowing CPR or how to access a public defibrillator, that just saves time. All of these things we can talk to you over the phone and tell you how to do them.
“But being prepared and having a bit of an idea of what you would do in an emergency is really useful.”
Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance people use the app What Three Words so their exact location can be found by emergency services.
By getting prepared, Ollie says, it helps people’s odds during a medical emergency.
“We can get anywhere in the South West in the helicopter in about 20 mins from being tasked," he says.
“So although that’s pretty quick if nothing happens in those 20 to those patients their outcome is not going to be great.”