Probe reveals worrying lack of defib kits

New figures show lack of life-saving defibrillators across the country.

Only one in five Scottish leisure centres have life-saving heart shock equipment. A probe has also revealed only a fifth of secondary schools with public sports facilities have access to the life-saving defibrillators.

And in the primary schools surveyed less than 1% of them have the devices.

It has prompted demands for the Scottish Government to intervene in the shortage.

It comes after a number of deaths experts say could have been avoided with access to defibrillators, which cost under £1,000. The chances of survival after cardiac arrest soars if you are treated with a defib.

In cases where the device is used immediately after cardiac arrest, survival rate is close to 90%. Without the machine and using just CPR, success falls below 10%.

Last week, former Heart of Midlothian trainee Jamie Skinner, 14, collapsed during a match for his new team Tynecastle FC at Saughton playing fields in Edinburgh.

Last week Jamie’s family confirmed he suffered sudden heart failure on the pitch. It prompted the family and the Arrhythmia Alliance to call for defibs in all sports facilities.

Earlier this year, former Ryder Cup captain Bernard Gallacher was saved when he suffered a cardiac arrest at an Aberdeen hotel and was resuscitated by a defib.

However, new figures obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats, shows the extent of the shortage of the devices across Scotland.

As well as the lack of devices in sports centres, schools lacked the machines.

Out of the 1,948 primary schools and 347 secondary schools in Scotland they looked at, only four primary schools (0.2%) and 61 secondary schools (17.6%) had access to a defibrillator.

Last night Scottish Liberal Democrat health spokesperson Jim Hume MSP said: “After someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute that passes without defibrillation reduces their chances of survival by 10 per cent.

“Our figures show that only a fifth of leisure centres in Scotland have these key life-saving equipment on site. It is the same figure for secondary schools which share use of facilities such as swimming pools and gym halls with the local community.

“The Scottish Government should work with local authorities to investigate how they can expand the installation of defibrillators in community facilities across Scotland.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: “A substantial investment in heart disease services has reduced Scotland’s premature deaths from coronary heart disease by over 60% in the last 15 years.

“More can be done and we recognise the important role that defibrillators can play.”

Last week we told how our columnist Bernard Gallacher had begun a campaign for all golf clubs in the UK and Ireland to have the life-saving equipment.