LIVES could be saved if a new law requires all defibrillators to be registered with the ambulance service, a Labour MSP has urged.
Anas Sarwar has put forward a Member’s Bill, calling for the life-saving equipment to be registered with emergency services, allowing 999 call handlers to identify the nearest device and direct people to it if somebody was having a heart attack.
Members of the public would then be able to use it before paramedics arrive on the scene, giving the victim a greater chance of survival.
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Defibrillators can significantly improve survival rates, but statistics show this drops by 10 per cent for every minute before CPR or defibrillation takes place.
There is currently no law in Scotland making registration of the devices mandatory – with purchasers only asked to log them with the Scottish Ambulance Service on a voluntary basis.
Mr Sarwar, the MSP for Glasgow, said a new law to require all Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) to be registered would potentially save lives.
He said: “I want Scotland to lead the way in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival, and my proposed Member’s Bill supports that ambition.
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“Registration would support the ambulance service to identify the nearest available working AED, potentially significantly reducing the time involved in getting a defibrillator to the scene and, in turn, improving survival rates.
“The Bill would also have the advantage of allowing for AEDs to be placed in a more strategic way than at present across Scotland.”
He added: “By locating and mapping current AEDs, we can identify areas which lack them within an accessible distance.
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“The aim of this Bill is to help bystanders save the lives of their fellow citizens and allow Scotland to lead the way in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival, and I encourage the public to show their support in this consultation.”
The Scottish Ambulance Service has welcomed Mr Sarwar's proposals.
A spokesman said: “It is vital that defibrillators are registered so they can save lives and we always encourage custodians to do so.”
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