More defibrillators planned for Swindon schools and nurseries

Council members unanimously agreed to find suitable locations for and to fund more defibrillators

Councillors have agreed to find more spaces for defibrillators, especially in schools and nurseries.

Swindon Borough Council members came to a unanimous decision after the motion was introduced.

The leader of the council will ask the Secretary of State for Education to consider placing the machines in early years education settings and schools.

Councillor Oladapo Ibitoye, the cabinet member for education and skills, introduced the motion.

It said: "On average 30,000 people each year suffer a sudden cardiac arrest outside of hospital and 20 per cent of these incidents occur in public spaces.

"Defibrillators can play a significant role in saving the lives of people who suffer heart attacks in public.

"It is estimated that a shock from a defibrillator, alongside CPR treatment, increases survival rates up to 80%."

Mr Ibitoye had to run to find a defibrillator in order to help someone living in his ward who was in cardiac arrest.

He said: "When I arrived at the house with the defibrillator, I'll always remember the look on the face of a five-year-old child, clutching their teddy bear saying 'thank you' to me."

The motion commits the council to finding suitable places and support funding for defibrillator installation, acknowledging they are most effective within three minutes of a person collapsing.

It also ensures the council conducts a campaign to show the location of the defibrillators and provides instructions on how to use them.

Elsewhere, Labour leader Jim Robbins introduced an amendment attempting to force the council's Conservative cabinet to challenge the government on ambulance waiting times.

It read: "This council recognises 3,481 patients with conditions like heart attacks and strokes waited more than six hours and 39 minutes for an ambulance in December".

It would have required council leader David Renard to write to the Health Secretary and Chancellor asking them to increase spending on the NHS.

That amendment was voted down along party lines but Labour councillors supported the Conservatives on the original motion on defibrillators.

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