SADS UK, the UK charity for Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, has teamed up with Writhlington School in order to assist in placing an automated external defibrillator on the premises.

The school is supporting the cardiac charity's 'Big Shock Campaign' to put defibrillators into all schools across the country. Awareness of cardiac problems in young adults has risen since footballer, Fabrice Muamba, collapsed during a football match last year. His remarkable recovery was greatly aided by the use of an automated external defibrillator.

SADS UK was keen to help place a defibrillator at Writhlington School as they understand how important this equipment is and wanted the school to benefit by having one on site.

The acquisition of this equipment is particularly important to Writhlington as they have a student with Long Q T Syndrome (irregular electrical impulses to the heart). If the heart stopped, the student would require a defibrillator to restart – CPR would not work. The defribrillator would also be accessible to all the sporting academies – football, golf and tennis, as well as the variety of other sporting activities and theatre productions that take place on site.

A defibrillator is the only piece of equipment that will effectively restore the heart's rhythm. If a person goes into cardiac arrest, it is crucial that they are administered a therapeutic shock delivered by the defibrillator as quickly as possible. This gives the patient the best chance of survival. The automated external defibrillator is easy to use, even for those without medical training. It is designed to recognise whether a patient needs a shock or not and instructs the user how to administer one.

SADS UK presented the school with the defibrillator and offered training to the students and staff last Friday, 3rd May. The first aid training was provided by Richard Long, of Reflex First Aid, and was taken by nine members of staff, the majority of whom are on site, even when the school itself is not in session.

Anne Jolly, Founder of SADS UK, the Ashley Jolly SAD Trust, says: "SADS UK is pleased that Writhlington School will now benefit from having a defibrillator, along with lifesaving training. It's good to know that if sudden cardiac arrest occurs, the school will have a defibrillator available to restart the heart. Using CPR alone provides a 5% chance of survival, but using CPR along with the defibrillator increases the chance of survival to over 50%; this is why SADS UK is so passionate about putting this lifesaving equipment in place."

Guides indicating the warning signs to help identify people who may have an underlying cardiac condition have also been provided to the school.

SADS UK is urging the Government to bring forward a strategy to make defibrillators available in all schools. The charity's Big Shock Campaign and petition are gathering significant momentum with many people signing their support.

If you would like to sign the petition, or need further information about heart rhythm disorders that may put people at risk of SADS, please contact Anne Jolly, on: 01277 811215, email: [email protected]">[email protected] or visit the website: http://www.sadsuk.org">www.sadsuk.org