Archive - Tuesday, 2 October 2001


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Life-saving project set up

Approximately 160 people in Pembrokeshire will suffer a heart attack over the next 12 months.

Most of them will not make it to hospital and a significant number will be dead before an ambulance arrives.

Now, a new scheme called Heartstart Pembrokeshire has been launched to teach members of the public basic life support - which could mean the difference between life and death.

The scheme takes its inspiration from a project launched in Seattle in the 1970s by cardiologist Leonard Cobb.

The project trained the public how to recognise the signs of a heart attack, what to do, and how to use a defibrillator (heart-monitoring machine).

The results were so successful that pre-hospital heart attack death rates fell by 47%.

Bryn Hazeldene, project secretary, said: Its been done and we can do it. But we can only do it if people want to be trained.

Dr Nigel Jowett, medical director of Heartstart Pembrokeshire, said Britain was unfortunately leading the world in cardiac deaths.

He said: Its a somewhat sobering thought that one-quarter of men and one-fifth of women are going to die from a heart attack, many prematurely, he said.

He added that three-quarters of people who have heart attacks will die before they reach hospital.

There are not enough health care professionals around. So its going to be up to members of the public to play our part in reducing death rates.

The Heartstart Scheme is run by the Welsh Ambulances Services NHS Trust and the British Heart Foundation.

It has not received a penny of Government funding and is depending on charities to get off the ground. Bryn Hazeldene expressed his thanks to all the charities which have contributed.

Training sessions will take place at Pembroke Dock, Tenby, Milford Haven and Haverfordwest. The intensive two-hour session will cover cardio pulmonary resuscitation, recognition of a heart attack and treatment of serious haemorrhage.

For further information on Heartstart Pembrokeshire, phone 07773 370732 or contact Pembroke Dock Ambulance Station, South Pembrokeshire Hospital, Fort Road, Pembroke Dock.