Defibrillator locating website launched in West Midlands

A website has been launched in the West Midlands which lets people use a postcode or place name to find the nearest defibrillator in an emergency.

The Defib Finder website also gives directions to where the defibrillator is kept and a contact name.

West Midlands Ambulance Service, Safeheart UK and the Community Heartbeat charity have spent three years developing the website.

It stores the locations of 2,500 defibrillators.

The website covers Birmingham, the Black Country, Warwickshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

West Midlands Ambulance Service said it hoped the website would eventually hold a national database of locations.

The website is the first to be developed with the co-operation of an ambulance service, the spokesman added.

Duncan Parsonage, from the organisation, said: "Should anyone you know ever suffer a cardiac arrest your first port of call should always be to dial 999 and commence CPR, but more often than not in such situations there are other people in around who could help by fetching a defibrillator."

He said the quicker the defibrillator was used the better a person's chance of survival and the less time they would spend recovering from the cardiac arrest.

The website will also tell the ambulance service when the defibrillator was last used, how many people are trained to use specific device, and when each defibrillator is due for a maintenance check.

Dental Showcase 2011 - Just gets better and better!

We are pleased to announce that we had yet another great Dental Showcase. Not only did we meet alot of our clients in a more social arena other than a training one, we had great success with our Medical Emergencies Seminar which we carried out on the Friday of the show, this is the second year in succession for us. One of our top specialist trainers, Jacqui Brett presented to over 1000 delegates over the three sessions. This particular seminar is always a great success along with our show guide article.

Our Group Managing Director, Christian Holdsworth-Smith said ''Dental shows are a great way for our head office team to meet those clients whom they speak to every day but never have the chance to meet. The Dental Showcase is the best and biggest dental show that we have the pleasure of attending and my personnal thanks goes to my good friend Darran Lacey and all at the BDTA for organising such a great show, keep up the good work''.

We welcomed onto our stand a few old faces and also new faces. We had the pleasure of Joy Taggart whom is from our Defibrillator supplier Heartsine. Joy commented ''Once again First for Medical Training have shown their commitment to dental professionals by both exhibiting and running CPD workshops at Dental Showcase.  The three days provide an occasion to meet and talk with a diverse group of people – an excellent opportunity to showcase how the co-operation between First for Medical as a professional training company and HeartSine Technologies as an innovative market-focused AED manufacturer can work to benefit dental professionals''.

Gail Perves from Dental Nurse Development also joined us on our stand. Gail has launched a company which is dedicated to the development of dental nurses and the dental team, we wish her every success for 2011/2012 and she will be more than welcome at next years show.

The Dental Showcase 2011 was held at the NEC on the 20th - 22nd October, next years show will be on the 4th - 6th Ocotber at the Excel, London. We shall see you there.  

Macclesfield's Richard Butcher died from heart condition

A professional footballer who was found dead in his bed died from a rare heart condition, a coroner has ruled.

Macclesfield Town midfielder Richard Butcher was discovered dead at his flat in Swinton, Salford in January.

The Northampton-born player, 29, had suffered chest pains in the past three years, Bolton Coroner's Court heard.

In a narrative verdict, assistant deputy coroner Peter Watson said Mr Butcher died from natural causes due to a naturally occurring heart condition.

"All deaths are tragic but especially in cases with someone so young and on the face of things he was a very fit and healthy young man, it is so sad that on the balance of probabilities he died from this cardiac condition," Mr Watson said.

'Fit and professional'
 
A post-mortem examination showed he died of natural causes and there were no signs of heart disease.

The player suffered from the condition cardiac arrhythmia - where the heart either beats too slow or too fast.

Mr Butcher's wife Sarah told the hearing he "dedicated his career to maintaining his health and fitness".

"He used to delight in that the younger players would remark on how fit and professional he was," she said.

Mrs Butcher said her husband had complained of chest pains on and off for about three years.

"Every now and then he would clutch his chest and then the pain would disappear," she said.

'No pain'
 
"He would say 'I'm so fit and healthy, it's fine' and he would dismiss it really."

He underwent a series of heart tests in Lincoln in November 2009, after collapsing after a night out when he had only drunk three bottles of beer.

Mrs Butcher said that he clutched his chest while working on a university assignment at his computer three days before his death, but again had shrugged it off.

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He always wanted to be a footballer, like every schoolboy does”

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Richard Butcher's father

Pathologist Dr Simon Suvarna said such deaths were rare and that either they occurred with no warning or with previous symptoms of fainting episodes. Chest pains were not common as an indicator, he said.

He said the death may have happened while Mr Butcher was asleep or had just woken but he would not have been aware or felt any pain.

Mr Butcher, who also played for Kettering, Oldham, Peterborough, Notts County and Lincoln City, was described by Macclesfield Town as "a total role model for young professionals".

The club, where he had played for a year, were concerned when he did not arrive for training on 10 January. He was later found dead.

Paying tribute, his father Richard said: "He was a lovely, lovely lad. As fit as anything.

"He always wanted to be a footballer, like every schoolboy does."

His brother Glenn added: "I couldn't imagine him doing another job. He tried a couple of times having normal jobs but he never lasted more than a day."

Mr Butcher had planned to become a physiotherapist after his playing days, his family said.

03.06.11 -  Boy, 15, saved by gym staff after treadmill heart attack

A schoolboy who had a heart attack on a treadmill has thanked the hero gym instructors who saved his life.

Patrick Horrocks, 15, collapsed and stopped breathing during a work-out at Hindley Leisure Centre, near Wigan.

Fitness instructor Nick Hill gave him the kiss of life and massaged his chest before his colleague Dave Collins used a life-saving defibrillator machine to restart his heart.

Patrick, a pupil at Hindley High School, was rushed to hospital and has now been diagnosed with a genetic heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - the same condition that claimed the life of Manchester City footballer Mark Vivien-Foe during a match in 2003.

The defibrillator machine - and automated external defibrillator (AED) - was placed in the gym under a Manchester-wide North West Ambulance Service campaign to save lives.

Patrick's parents Allison and Damian, of Carr Common Road, Hindley

Green, today called for all public and private gyms to be fitted with the life-saving devices and said the family would be 'indebted forever' to the gym staff for their intervention.

Allison, 35, a nurse, said: "The machine and the prompt action of staff saved Patrick's life. We can never repay them and we all just want to thank them so much."

Damian, 36, added: "We had no idea he suffered from this condition. He's always been a fit lad, always played sports. If he was anywhere else, playing football or walking home from school, he would not be here today. The defibrillator and the quick actions of the staff saved his life and we are truly grateful to them."

Both Damian and Allison are due to undergo blood tests in a bid to determine the cause of the condition.

Patrick's chest has been fitted with a device which combines the actions of a defibrillator and a pacemaker. It will kick in to make his heart beat faster if alerted and deliver an electric shock if his heart stops.

Allison added: "He is being very positive. If there was no scar on his chest you wouldn't have even known that it had happened. He will have to adjust his life. He can never be involved in competitive sports but he is doing well and just needs regular check-ups."

Patrick started to breathe and regained consciousness after he was treated with the machine at the gym and when paramedics arrived, he was fully conscious.

He has now recovered after treatment at Alder Hey Children's Hospital and is at home.

Ambulance bosses launched the Community Resuscitation Scheme to call for defibrillators to be fitted in public areas.

David McNally, the scheme's manager, said: "This incident highlights the importance of quick intervention when an individual goes into cardiac arrest and supports our aim to have AED's placed in all public areas where there is an increased risk of cardiac arrest.

"Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust is just one of the twenty four leisure organisations involved in the scheme throughout Greater Manchester. This is a very positive step in ensuring they can provide vital assistance to their customers should they require it."

Wigan Leisure and Culture Trust manage the gym for Wigan council. Stuart Murray, chief executive, praised staff and added: "The training and systems we have in place delivered when it really mattered and we're delighted Patrick is now back home."

24.06.11 - BDA Conference 2011 - A Great Success

We have just been exhibiting at yet another dental show, this time the British Dental Association Conference in Manchester and what a great success it was according to our Training Director, Paul Sturman, 'Not only did we meet new clients but we also met old ones too'. With taking so many orders on the day, we were as always going to be the cheapest and most professional Defibrillator supplier there, offering outstanding customer service and exquisite training. It was also nice to see some of our 'competition' there too.

The exhibition and conference took place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex (MCCC) from the 19th - 21st May.

Our Group Managing Director, Christian Holdsworth-Smith commented,

It was also nice to hear comments from our customers about how exceptional and professional our specialist dental training is. This is something that we pride ourselves in as all our trainers are medical professionals and all have the experience and knowledge to back up which ever course they are teaching. As we look after 80% of the dental fraturnity within the UK and supply the highest amount of Defibrillators to this area it is always important to show people we are here'.

FMT look forward to exhibiting at the BDTA Dental Showcase at the NEC in October. We shall be carrying out the seminar on Medical Emergencies at the show. Dont forget to visit us for more great offers.