Between April 2020 and March 2021, the Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST) responded to 6,585 Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) of which, 2,791 resulted in resuscitation attempts.
Without early recognition and immediate action in the first few minutes of the cardiac arrest happening, death is likely.
An out of hospital cardiac arrest is a term used for a cardiac arrest that happens suddenly when you are going about your day in your community, whilst at work, following your leisure activities or just relaxing at home. It can happen at any time and to anyone of any age - whether you’re male or female, young or old.
Your chance of surviving an out of hospital cardiac will fall by 10% with every passing minute if somebody doesn’t have a go at performing CPR and using a defibrillator.
Doing something is always better than doing nothing, and it’s good to remember the simple steps of phoning 999, performing immediate CPR, using a defibrillator, and continuing CPR until the ambulance crew arrive.
In Wales, the survival rate following an out of hospital cardiac arrest is less than 5%. Compare this to England who have a survival rate of 10%, Scotland at 9% and in some European countries and USA cities it is around 25%.
Wales therefore has a long way to go. But learning the skill of CPR and using a defibrillator can make a real difference. With your help, we will start to see more people surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest here in Wales.
Save a Life Cymru was established in 2019 by Welsh Government to: