Historical Notes
- Launched St Andrews Day 1987
- Objectives: Provide equipment to help prevent sudden death from heart attack and to organise training for members of the public in basic life support (mouth to mouth breathing and cardiac massage)
- First training class 9/2/88
- Defibrillators installed in local ambulances 1/3/88
- First life saved May 1988
- Citizen training classes held in various locations on demand in St Andrews and surrounding communities. Training conducted by volunteers. Depending on the location, sessions can accommodate up to 60 people. Each session lasts two hours, which is long enough to teach basic skills. Public are encouraged to return for “refreshers”.
- Approximately 15,000 people have been trained.
- We are now affiliated to Heartstart UK, a national body sponsored by the British Heart Foundation to promote community training in CPR
- The initial scheme launched here was used as a pilot for a proposed national scheme to provide defibrillators in ambulances. Following the success of our scheme, Heartstart Scotland was launched on 1/10/88.
- Bystanders can almost double the survival rate by initiating CPR, but every one minute of delay reduces survival chances by 7%
- 40% of those defibrillated out of hospital are subsequently discharged form hospital with no neurological disability, and nearly 70% are alive four years later.