Lord Mayor learns first aid

The Lord Mayor of The City of London, Ian Luder, was joined by well known ex-TV presenter Angela Rippon, and trained in the use of AED's by St John Ambulance volunteers at Broadgate Circle in the heart of the City. Volunteers were also on hand to provide advice and information to members of the public.

As part of this year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal, St John Ambulance is set to place over 1,000 automated external defibrillators ( AED s) across the City of London and Tower Hamlets, including Canary Wharf, together with essential training and support to help combat incidences of heart attacks.

Research shows that access to defibrillation within three minutes of cardiac arrest increases the chances of the patient regaining a heartbeat by 33%. Those who suffer a cardiac arrest in a public place and do not receive immediate defibrillation have only a 4.4% chance of regaining a heartbeat.*

Last week The Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2009 gave defibrillator demonstrations at Broadgate Circle in order to highlight the ease of use of, and necessity for, easily accessible defibrillators across the City of London.

Ian Luder said: 'This year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal is going to save lives and leave a legacy of healthy hearts for the City. The Appeal will be giving something back via 1000 defibrillators for those who live and work in the City of London and Tower Hamlets, including Canary Wharf.'

Len Bamber, Chief Executive of St John Ambulance London (Prince of Wales’s) District added: 'It has been proved that strategically placed defibrillators can significantly reduce the incidents of death via heart attacks. We would like defibrillators to be as widely available and accessible as fire extinguishers so that this year’s Appeal will really be saving lives.'

• According to the Department of Health, every two minutes someone in the UK has a heart attack and half of these attacks will be fatal
• Every year 6000 Londoners die from a cardiac arrest before they reach hospital
• Survival rates of those who suffer cardiac arrest outside hospital in London is only 11%
• A defibrillator can save your life if you have a heart attack – this year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal will save lives.

*From ‘A national scheme for public access defibrillation in England and Wales: Early Results’ (March 2008).