Calls for the Welsh Government to provide community halls, sports grounds and independent shops with funding to buy defibrillators will be debated in the Senedd on Wednesday (Sept 15).
Welsh Conservatives, who have put forward the motion as the Senedd’s first debate of the term, have been calling for action on defibrillators and CPR for years.
Suzy Davies, the party’s former Shadow Minister for Education, was successful in her decade-long campaign to get the teaching of life-saving skills such as CPR added into Wales’ new school curriculum earlier this year.
The Welsh Conservative motion proposes that the Senedd:
- Notes that only 1-in-10 people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest
- Notes that for every minute a patient doesn’t have access to a defibrillator or CPR their chance of survival drops by 10%
- Recognises that a network of defibrillators will save lives
- Calls on the Welsh Government to provide grant funding or loans to enable community halls, sports grounds and independent shops to buy and install a defibrillator.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Sport, Tom Giffard MS, who will open Wednesday’s debate, said:
“There is no doubt that defibrillators are vitally important pieces of equipment which, if used within 3-5 minutes of cardiac arrest, can increase survival rates from 6% to 74%.
“But they come with a rather hefty price tag, so this Labour administration needs to provide groups, clubs and shops across Wales with financial support if we are to save lives.
“Some 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospital every year in Britain, meaning now more than ever is the time to have defibrillators installed in as many easily-accessible places as possible.
“Politicians of all colours across the Senedd are as one on this issue, so I hope they support our motion and help save lives.”