Dentists' surgery buys defibrillator and trains staff to deal with heart attacks

3:00pm Thursday 27th November 2008

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STAFF at a Didcot dental surgery hope the purchase of new life-saving equipment will put them at the heart of the community.

Busby House Dental Centre, in Hagbourne Road, recently bought a defibrillator to treat heart attacks, not just in the surgery — but anywhere in the town.

Everyone, including the cleaner and receptionist, has been trained to use the £2,000 portable machine, which can improve heart attack survival rates by 40 per cent.

Diane Stewart, one of the senior dentists at Busby House, said she realised it was not the kind of thing you would expect to see at a dentists’ surgery.

She said: “We bought the machine for the whole community to use. Now if people are in need of emergency help, they will think to come to us.

“We have quite late opening hours, so, hopefully, that will help.

“Now we want to let people know we are here if they need it, and are all trained to give them first aid help.”

When a person suffers a heart attack, the heart continues to beat, but in an uncoordinated way, so blood is not delivered to the brain and other organs effectively.

An automated external defibrillator works by delivering an electric shock to restore a normal beat. The machine is attached to the person's chest, where it can work out the heart rhythm and tell the operator whether a shock is required.

Department of Health research shows that one in five people who suffer from heart attacks do so in public places.

Jane Hoskin, of the Oxford College of First Aid, said speed of response and access to the correct equipment was vital to survival.

She added: “Sudden cardiac arrest requires an immediate response. Many victims can survive if bystanders act quickly.”

Despite an option to opt out of the scheme, all 23 of the staff at the surgery were given training at the Oxford College of First Aid.