Asked by Lord Storey To ask Her Majesty’s
Government what plans they have to ensure that all schools and
public buildings are equipped with defibrillators. The
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Education
(Lord Nash) (Con) My Lords, the Government know how important
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Asked by
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To ask Her Majesty’s Government what plans they have to
ensure that all schools and public buildings are equipped
with defibrillators.
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The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Education (Lord Nash) (Con)
My Lords, the Government know how important swift access to
defibrillators can be in cases of cardiac arrest. That is
why we are encouraging schools to purchase a defibrillator
as part of their first-aid equipment, and we have
negotiated a deal to offer defibrillators to schools at a
reduced cost. Since the scheme was launched, more than
1,800 defibrillators have been purchased through this
route. The Government also continue to provide funding to
make defibrillators more widely available in communities
across the country.
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(LD)
I thank the Minister for his reply and for his work during
the coalition Government and this Government. The Minister
will be aware that today, 82 people will experience a
sudden cardiac arrest and only eight of them will survive.
He will also be aware of the work of the Oliver King
Foundation, which was set up after the tragic death of a
12-year-old boy in a swimming pool in Liverpool, and which
has campaigned ceaselessly for this provision. Is the
Minister prepared to meet the foundation to discuss further
ways in which it can be taken forward?
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I am very much aware of the work of this marvellous
foundation, which I know works tirelessly to place
defibrillators and raise awareness of sudden cardiac
arrest. When I met Mark King nearly three years ago, we had
a good conversation about our deal to purchase
defibrillators and I would be delighted to meet him again.
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(Lab)
My Lords, should not all children be given training in the
use of defibrillators, and should they not have wider
knowledge of how to use this machinery and other first aid
when they come out of school?
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We leave it to schools to decide precisely how much they
teach their pupils about first aid. Some very good
resources are available from the British Heart Foundation,
the Red Cross and others. The defibrillator we provide
comes with audio instructions which make it very easy to
use, but of course, training for staff and others is
important.
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(CB)
Do the Government recognise that it is essential to have
emergency action first-aid training in primary and
secondary schools, so that children can recognise cardiac
arrest in another child, respond appropriately, call for
help and know where a defibrillator is? Simply purchasing a
defibrillator is inadequate.
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As I say, we leave it to schools to deal with the precise
details, but they will of course make it absolutely clear
where the defibrillator is. I have already referred to the
issue of training.
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(Con)
Does my noble friend accept that the use of defibrillators
has saved a great many lives—provided, of course, that they
are used in appropriate circumstances?
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I accept that entirely.
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(LD)
My Lords, given the recent cuts in school funding, how does
the Minister expect schools to be able to afford
defibrillators, unless of course they have a special grant
to purchase one from the department, which they most
certainly should?
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Under our deal, schools can now purchase the machines for
£435, compared to £1,000 to £2,000 if they did so
independently.
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(Con)
Is the Minister aware that these machines are now so
sophisticated that if any operator is about to use one
inappropriately, it has been programmed to tell the operator
to “push off”?
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I do not know if they quite put it in those terms, but I am
aware that they are apparently very easy to use and the
instructions are very clear.
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(Lab)
My Lords, the noble Lord, , rightly paid tribute to
the outstanding work of the Oliver King Foundation, and I
acknowledge the work the Minister has done in meeting the
foundation and taking the issue forward. Every year, 270
children die after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest at
school, and 12 young people a week die from sudden arrhythmic
death syndrome. There are laws that mandate smoke alarms,
fire extinguishers, seatbelts and lifejackets to save lives,
but there is no law mandating a simple piece of equipment
that could restart the lives of 12 young people each week. Do
the Government intend to give a fair wind to MP’s Defibrillators
(Availability) Bill, which will have its Second Reading in
another place next month, so as to bring to an end the
shameful postcode lottery that is access to defibrillators?
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My Lords, the Department of Health believes that it is
unnecessary to require defibrillators to be placed in all
public buildings, and it is our policy that local ambulance
trusts already have responsibility for the provision of
defibrillators and are best placed to know what is needed in
the local area. When I met Mark King and the other
representatives of the Oliver King Foundation some years ago,
they seemed satisfied with our arrangements, particularly the
deal that I referred to, but we are very happy to work with
them further and to discuss what more we can do to ensure
that more schools install defibrillators and that we raise
awareness of this very important issue.
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(LD)
Following the question asked by the noble Baroness, Lady
Finlay, how can children in schools be shown the dangers of
diabetes or epilepsy and made aware of the symptoms? Is it
possible to encourage schools and education authorities to
make sure that those who are able to instruct are allowed
into classrooms?
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In 2014, we introduced a new duty on schools to make
arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions with
such detailed guidance, which was developed in association
with stakeholders, including the Health Conditions in Schools
Alliance.
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The (CB)
My Lords, this is yet another argument for strengthening
personal, social, health and economic education. If children
understand their own bodies and are taught well about them,
they can respond more appropriately to the issues raised in
this question, and more generally, when such health problems
arise for them or others.
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I agree with the sentiment expressed by the noble Earl. I
think I have already said that we are looking at how we can
strengthen these provisions further.
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