County Durham MPs calling for better access to life-saving defibrillators
They are concerned over the stark regional disparities
County Durham MPs have urged the Government to remove the ‘postcode lottery’ and ensure communities have access to life-saving defibrillators.
Concerns were raised over the stark regional disparities in access, particularly in rural areas and disadvantaged communities, causing MPs to warn of “defibrillator deserts” throughout the region.
Defibrillators are used to give the best chance of survival during a cardiac arrest by giving an electric charge or current to the heart to try and restore a normal heartbeat.
Sam Rushworth, MP for Bishop Auckland, led calls for better national provision during a House of Commons debate.
He said: “When I was just 11 years old, my mum collapsed with a seizure while we were at church. It was only by the good fortune of there being a paramedic in the congregation that her life was saved. Had that not been the case, I would have grown up without a mother.”
The Labour MP said 51 per cent of postcodes in the Bishop Auckland constituency are outside the recommended distance for timely access to a defibrillator (17 per 10,000 people) – above the national average but below the recommendation between 50 and 100.
The national survival rate of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK is just eight per cent. The chances of survival increase by 70 per cent when people have rapid access to a defibrillator within three to five minutes.
More than 110,000 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are registered across the UK. However, costs remain a major barrier for communities, with organisations and charities facing costs of £2,500 per device.
Mary Kelly Foy, MP for City of Durham, said communities in County Durham are too often left without timely access.
She told the debate: “Nearly half the postcodes in my constituency are not within easy reach of a defibrillator. That is not just a statistic; it is the difference between life and death.”
Spiralling costs mean community groups, sports clubs and small businesses fundraising for devices face average VAT bills of £500 per defibrillator.
“I urge the Government to act to close the defibrillator gap, end the postcode lottery and give every community the fair access that they deserve,” added Ms Foy.
The debate was attended by several cross-party MPs, who each backed Mr Rushworth’s plea for improved access.
Responding, Ashley Dalton of the Department for Health and Social Care said: “The Government are committed to shifting the focus from hospital to community, moving care closer to people through community-based initiatives and targets, and embracing the digital transformation of the NHS.
“Together those shifts will mean healthier communities, more lives saved and an NHS fit for the future.”