Gavin Williamson, MP for South Staffordshire, unveiled South Staffordshire’s latest defibrillator, located in front of Moss Grove Surgery on High Street, Kinver.
The money for the defibrillator was raised thanks to the hard work of Kinver Community’s First Responders, who collected money during the annual Kinver Christmas lights switch on last December. The money, together with donations from Rotary Club of Kinver, Kinver Country Fayres Ltd., David Bills and Jane Bills, will enable the defibrillator to be maintained for a number of years.
Previously, the closest defibrillator was in Kingswinford, just over 5 miles away from Kinver. With this new piece of lifesaving equipment installed in the centre of the village, the survival rates of those who suffer a cardiac arrest near to the village could rise considerably.
Current UK survival rates among people who have a cardiac arrest outside hospital remain extremely poor, varying from 2% to 12% dependent on area. CPR, in addition to effective defibrillation for shock-able rhythms, results in survival rates that exceed 50% and survival rates after prompt defibrillation are as high as 75% have been reported.
Speaking after his visit Gavin said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to all those involved in fundraising and donating money towards this vital piece of equipment.
“By making AED’s more accessible to communities, especially rural communities like we have here in South Staffordshire, we can save lives. To have such an important piece of lifesaving equipment right in the heart of Kinver is so vital because those minutes that it could save in terms of making sure that people have lifesaving treatment and equipment near to them can mean the difference between life and death."