4. 90-second Statements

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:21 pm on 13 February 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Suzy Davies Suzy Davies Conservative 3:21, 13 February 2019

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Well, it's February, and tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and we'll be awash with love hearts, as everyone will know, but the hearts I want to talk about are the hearts that give us life and to remind everyone that it's Defibruary as well as just February. Automated emergency defibrillators or AEDs can easily be used when someone has suffered a cardiac arrest. People without any medical training can use them to safely give an electrical pulse once the defibrillator detects that a person has an irregular heartbeat that places them in immediate danger. Once someone suffers a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival plummet by 14 per cent every minute that passes without treatment, and outside a hospital setting it's crucial that some treatment is administered as soon as possible.

Thanks to charities like St John Cymru, often present at football grounds actually, Welsh Hearts, Cariad, British Heart Foundation Cymru, the Red Cross, many businesses, sports clubs, councillors and even other individuals—they've all contributed to making sure that there are more defibrillators and more training available within the community, and you may want to tell constituents about Proactive First Aid Solutions. Have a look at their website, as they're offering a free defibrillator and training worth over £1,300 to organisations, community groups or schools. However, it's no good if a defibrillator is locked up or you don't know where they are, so this Defibruary I'm asking you to take a photograph of yourself next to your nearest publicly available defibrillator, share it on social media with the hashtag 'Defibruary' and encourage your constituents to do the same—one step closer to becoming a nation of lifesavers. Thank you.