A new defibrillator has been installed at a West Lothian family-run business.
The life-saving equipment can now be found at the Park Bistro in Linlithgow and will be available for local and public use.
It is estimated that there is approximately 60,000 Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests that occur every year in the UK. If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed within three to five minutes of cardiac arrest, chance of survival increases from six per cent to 74 per cent. A defibrillator delivers a high-energy electric shock to someone suffering a cardiac arrest to help restore a stable heart rhythm.
Earlier this year, Park Bistro manager Rachael Cook’s father suffered a cardiac arrest at home. She explained: “Unfortunately and through our own personal experiences, cardiac arrest can happen to anyone and at any time and we hope that the new installation will make a difference should it ever have to be used.”
The Park Bistro, is located just outside of the main town of Linlithgow on Park Farm and beside the Union Canal. General manager Colin Scott added: “You always hope it will not need to be used but it is good to have it here. Earlier this year, our sister venue The Scott’s Functions and Events Suites in Grangemouth fundraised over £1200 to have a defibrillator installed. It’s through our fundraising for a defibrillator that we began our partnership with West Lothian First Responders who very kindly donated the defibrillator at The Park Bistro.”
The emergency services average response time to a cardiac event related incident in an urban area is 11 minutes. For every minute that goes by where a victim of Sudden Cardiac Arrest does not receive treatment, their chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent. If defibrillation through a defibrillator occurs within one minute of the victim collapsing, the victim’s survival rate increases to 90 per cent. Colin added: “We’re very close with our community and guests and wanted to make sure a defibrillator is available for anyone who may need it one day.”
