Defibrillator fitted to the Library at Summerhouse Drive available 24/7/365.

Wednesday, 30 November 2022

The vast majority of the defibrillators near Joydens Wood are not available 24/7/365 and have restrictions placed upon their use.

This will have a dramatic effect possibly fatally on a person if they have a heart attack and there is a delay in accessing a defibrillator.

Barry and Liz have already obtained permission from KCC Library and the KCC Estates management team to have it located on the wall of the library so it's available for everyone.

Clearly NWKFHS will be able to have access to it as well in case of an incident when NWKFHS is open for its members on Wednesdays and Fridays. The NWKFHS librarian will have the the code).

Hopefully this will never be the case but we never know what the future holds for us.

Local residents in Joydens Wood are seeking funding to secure a defibrillator which is to be placed in a secure cabinet of the wall of the Kent County Council (KCC) library at 80 Summerhouse Drive, Joydens Wood, Bexley, Kent DA5 2EE.

Kent County Council (KCC) Library Service and the KCC Property Management Team have given permission for a defibrillator and secure cabinet to be attached to the outside wall of the Library in Summerhouse Drive.

The defibrillator will be for the use of all in the Community and the upkeep will be the responsibility of a group of local residents not Kent County Council Library Services.

The current list of defibrillators in the area around the NWKHS Library reveal there are time restrictions and limitations in accessing them a defibrillator but the key to a successful recovery is early intervention so any delay in accessing a defibrillator could be fatal.

The locations of defibrillators located around the Joyden's Wood area is attached for NWKFHS members information. (As of 29/11/2022)

I have seen it used on two separate occasions when they collapsed with a heart attack, all hope was lost but with a combination of CPR and use of the defibrillator the individuals were kept alive, stabilised by an ambulance crew, taken to hospital and recovered.

They literally are a life saver. To put this into context the following quote is provided by London's Heart Charity:-.

"Cardiac Arrest kills over 60,000 people, of all ages, in the UK each year. If a heart defibrillator is used within 3-5 minutes of a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival increase from 6% to a massive 74%."

How can you help?

We know times are very hard for everyone but if you could make a small donation to help purchase the defibrillator that would be amazing.