City West Beats set to save lives in Salford

CITY WEST Housing Trust has become the first housing association in the North West to equip its offices and repair vans with life saving defibrillators and train its staff to save lives.

City West Beats is the name of the pioneering initiative being delivered in partnership with the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the British Heart Foundation.

City West Beats will see defibrillator kits located in the trust’s four neighbourhood offices in Swinton, Irlam, Eccles and Little Hulton, at its head office at Centenary House and the City West Works operational centre in Eccles. Mobile kits will be located onboard 12 repair vans that spend their days out and about in the community.

Staff, who volunteered to take part in the project, have been trained to use the defibrillators to help a victim in the most extreme emergency - cardiac arrest. They have also gained skills in basic life support which will enable them to help in other life threatening medical emergencies.
When someone has a cardiac arrest they lose consciousness at once and there are no signs of life. Defibrillators can sometimes be used to give an electric shock through the chest wall and restore a normal heartbeat.

No one knows who will suffer from cardiac arrest, but what is known is that help within the first few minutes improves the outcome for the patient.
Tim Doyle, Chief Executive of City West Housing Trust, said: “Today is a huge step towards providing support to the residents of West Salford which is over and above that traditionally associated with a housing association.

“Our staff volunteers have worked hard over the last couple of months to get ready for today. This life saving service will provide 18 more defibrillators in the West Salford community and will go a long way to providing emergency treatment – potentially saving lives.”

Community Resuscitation Manager at North West Ambulance Service, Dave McNally said: “The beats initiative demonstrates the Trust’s commitment to promoting and supporting emergency life support training in the community to strengthen the chain of survival. The North West Ambulance Service is extremely pleased to be working with City West on this scheme which will, ultimately, save lives.

“This is the second and largest housing association to be involved in the Community Resuscitation scheme, and we hope to extend the scheme to others in the future.”

Funding for this ground-breaking initiative has been provided by North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, City West and the British Heart Foundation. City West staff now have the potential to save lives thanks to training provided by the North West Ambulance Service.

The emergency life support training now means 25 trained staff can be called upon to attend certain calls where time can make the difference between life and death, the team will provide care, treatment and support to the patient until the arrival of the emergency ambulance.

Housing staff and trades people from City West Works, the Trust’s repairs and maintenance division, have received the emergency life support training.

Dave Wallace, Assistant Contract Manager with City West Works (part of City West Housing Trust), said: “In many cases you never know when a heart attack or a cardiac arrest can strike. One of our senior managers, Fred Bardsley, recently suffered an unexpected heart attack.

“It can happen to anyone at anytime and if we are able to provide emergency life support treatment in a matter of minutes, it could mean a difference between life and death. We think this is a fantastic scheme and are really pleased to be involved.”

Shirley McNally, North West Community Development Officer for the British Heart Foundation, said: “Evidence shows that for someone suffering a cardiac arrest, the chance of survival decreases with every minute that passes, so a speedy response is crucial.

“Having a defibrillator close to hand in the first few vital minutes before the arrival of an ambulance can increase a patient’s chance of survival by more than a third. The British Heart Foundation is delighted to be providing funding for this initiative.

“City West’s work will run alongside the British Heart Foundation’s Saving Lives in Salford Appeal, which will be campaigning to raise cash for 16 life-saving defibrillators.”

To celebrate the launch of City West Beats an event is being held today (13th December) at the City West Works Operational Centre for everyone involved in the scheme. See photos from the launch event.

Bob Williams, Deputy Chief Executive of the North West Ambulance Service, and the British Heart Foundation’s Shirley McNally will talk of their delight that City West Housing Trust has been the first housing association to sign up to the project in the North West.

Guests will also here first hand from Andy Robson, a survivor of cardiac rest. Andy was treated with a defibrillator after he collapsed at home. The key to Andy’s survival was the speed at which he was treated.

A demonstration of how this piece of kit can save lives will also take place.

The North West Ambulance Service is committed to promoting and supporting emergency life support training in the community to strengthen the chance of survival for victims of sudden cardiac arrest across the whole region.