Doctor's speech inspires Foundation support
Liverpool's club doctor Zaf Iqbal gave a special presentation about the work being carried out by the Oliver King Foundation and emphasised the importance of having defibrillators in schools.
Dr Iqbal's audience included Conservative MP for Broxtowe Anna Soubry, and took place at the school of Oliver King, a 12-year-old boy who died of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) in 2011.
The foundation set up in Oliver's name has already supplied 250 life-saving automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to schools around Merseyside - and has the full support of Liverpool Football Club.
Last week, after unveiling a community defibrillator in Woolton and watching the talk at King David Primary School in Childwall, Ms Soubry promised to back the campaign.
She vowed to return to Parliament and urge all MPs to push for AEDS in all communities and schools.
Ms Soubry also aims to liaise with education secretary Mr Michael Gove in an attempt to have defibrillators installed in all newly built schools, as well as CPR and AED training for all school children by the time they have left school.
"Figures suggest that up to 12 young people (under the age of 35) die from Sudden Cardiac Death every week," explained Dr Iqbal.
"Many of these have no pre-existing symptoms. Many of these could have been saved with early access and use of an AED."
"AEDS are vital in that every minute's delay in using one in a 'shockable' rhythm from cardiac arrest results in a seven to 10 per cent decreased chance of survival.
"The survival rate from an out of hospital cardiac arrest in the UK is less than 20 per cent compared with over 50 per cent survival in certain areas of the world, where they have quicker access to AEDS and more people have training of AEDS and CPR, for example in Seattle in the US.
"The aim is to continue pushing government and try and make it legislation for AEDS to be available in all schools and public places."
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