Parliament has called for accessibility of automated external defibrillators in public places after immediate access to the machines saved the lives of Lord Brennan QC and Paul Ketch MP.

Lord Brennan QC collapsed suffering a sudden cardiac arrest. Before the arrival of paramedics, Lord Darzi of Denham saved his life by shocking his heart back into a regular beating pattern using a HeartStart AED from Laerdal.

Paul Keetch MP suffered a sudden cardiac arrest on board a Virgin Atlantic flight. Thanks to prompt defibrillation by members of the cabin crew who where trained to give emergency life-saving treatment using an onboard HeartStart AED, he was resuscitated after he was technically dead for 7mins.

He comments “It was only because they had that piece of equipment aboard that I actually didn’t die permanently.”
Paul Keetch proposed a new private bill for laws to be introduced that force all airlines to carry defibrillators

Article courtesy of HSM Magazine, December 2007