Gold CardiacSmart status for the University
27 Jun 2013
Manchester is the first university to receive this award for its dedication to raising awareness of heart health, basic life support and defibrillators.
With 20 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) already on and around campus, eight more on order, and many members of staff aware of their location and/or able to administer basic life support, the University is making a real contribution to increasing the survival chances of anyone who suffers cardiac arrest on campus - and this award provides welcome recognition of that achievement.
Around 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrest outside hospital each year in the UK and, for each minute that treatment is delayed, chances of survival fall by ten per cent. A person trained in basic life support can use a defibrillator to give an electric shock through the chest wall and help to restore a normal heartbeat.
Janet Makin, the University’s First Aid Co-ordinator, received the award at a ceremony on 18 June, together with Rachel Valentine from the STDU, who has provided support in raising awareness of AEDs on campus, and Christopher Worden, who represented Security. All Security staff have been trained in the use of an AED and carry a unit in each of the three Security vehicles.
Janet said: “Thanks to the training I have received from NWAS, and am disseminating to staff and students, we really are increasing the chances of survival for anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest on campus. Since the AEDs were located on campus in October 2011, 100 members of staff have been trained in basic life support and a further 458 have attended AED awareness sessions. We shall continue to raise awareness of the importance of improving access to defibrillators.
“Our award will be displayed in the Visitors Centre in University Place for all to see and is testament to the work that our staff have put into making the University a healthier place for everyone who comes onto campus.”
The CardiacSmart initiative was created by the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust (NWAS) and The British Heart Foundation to make defibrillators more available and accessible for people who suffer cardiac arrest outside hospital in the North West. It also aims to boost the number of people trained in basic life support so that they have the potential to save a life.
Further information
For more information on how we achieved CardiacSmart status:
- Contact Janet Makin, First aid Coordinator, on 58910 or janet.makin@manchester.ac.uk
or - Visit First Aid: Defibrillators (AEDs) - includes a map of where our AEDs are located
For more information about the CardiacSmart initiative, defibrillators, educational resources and news/events, visit: