August 11, 2014 12.51 pm This story is over 114 months old

Lincoln Asda stores get life-saving defibrillators

Life-saving investment: Three Asda stores in Lincoln have been given public-access defibrillator machines, with staff receiving CPR training as well.

Three Asda stores in Lincoln have been given public-access defibrillator machines, with staff receiving CPR training as well.

Asda, along with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS), is rolling our defibrillators and training across all of its 568 UK stores, 25 depots and offices.

The Lincoln stores benefitting are the Lincoln supermarket on Nettleham Road, the Lincoln Valentine Living store on Tritton Road and the store on Newark Road in North Hykeham.

The machines can be used by any member of the public to deliver an electric shock to the heart when someone is having a cardia arrest.

Awareness sessions with staff and members of the public will be completed by September 9.

The campaign is the latest step in BHF’s mission to improve cardiac arrest survival rates.

More than 60,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital every year in the UK, but only one in ten people survive.

The move ensures Asda’s customers; colleagues and people in surrounding communities will have access to the life-saving facility while an ambulance crew is on its way.

Kate Main from Asda’s Community Team, said: “We’re really proud of our relationship with the BHF and want the people in the local Lincoln community to have the best chance of survival if cardiac arrest strikes.

“It can take a number of minutes for an ambulance to reach one of our stores in response to an emergency like a cardiac arrest.

“Asda’s investment of over half a million pounds in providing life-saving defibrillators for all of the communities we operate in could significantly cut the amount of time a cardiac arrest sufferer has to wait for life-saving CPR and defibrillation, giving them the best possible chance of survival.”

Amit Aggarwal, Head of Corporate Fundraising at the BHF, adds: “Cardiac arrest survival rates in the UK are astonishingly low.

“Asda’s bold commitment to become the first large retailer to have CPR trained colleagues and public access defibrillators in every store will be instrumental in helping communities up and down the country access the life-saving support they need in an emergency.”

Steve Pratten, Community Response Manager said: “Your local CFR team will be providing the awareness training for the East Midlands region covering 46 stores.

“This will involve 73 awareness sessions providing additional lifesaving skills to more than 850 ASDA staff in our region.”