Heart matters

TO mark Start a Heart Month, Dumfries and Galloway Council launched a new dedicated webpage packed with practical information to help save lives in the event of a cardiac arrest. In particular, the local authority wants to highlight that the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest increase significantly when a defibrillator is used. However, in some parts of our region, the nearest 24/7 accessible defibrillator may be more than a mile away, a concern highlighted by research supported by the British Heart Foundation. To help improve survival rates, the council is working in partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service, University of Edinburgh, DH9 Foundation, NHS Dumfries and Galloway and Save a Life Scotland through the CARe (Cardiac Arrest Rescue) Zone Collaborative Group. This initiative aims to strengthen and mobilise community response to Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) across Dumfries and Galloway. And the new webpage features more about how people can get involved, locate the nearest defibrillator and access life-saving resources. Other information includes how to get a defibrillator for your community, how to register a defibrillator and how to register as a GoodSAM responder.