GFSL team install life saving medical equipment at HMP Bristol

Bristol Prison is a men’s prison in the Horfield area of Bristol.

The defibrillator is thought to be the first of its kind located within a prison wall. GFSL hopes that this will inspire other installations in similar prison sites. Funded by local shopkeepers, the cost of this defibrillator cost approximately £2,000.

Defibrillators are normally located in workplaces and public spaces like airports, shopping centres, community centres, and train stations. These defibrillators are known as public access defibrillators (PADs) as anyone can use them.

Local Bristol business owners and the community at large are aware of the defibrillator’s location, so if anyone is in difficulty, they can follow the emergency procedure, which is:

• Call 999, ask for emergency medical services who provide a special code
• This allows the defibrillator door to open
• The services then provide instant, over the phone instructions
• In order for the patient to have the best chance of surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest, CPR and early defibrillation must be provided within the first 3-4 minutes of the cardiac arrest, followed by advanced life support within the first 8 minutes of the arrest.

GFSL Manager Dean Conisbee commented:

This was a team effort – we are delighted to be able to install a life saving piece of equipment into the local community infrastructure.

About Defibrillators

In the UK there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) a year where emergency medical services attempt to resuscitate the victim. However, the survival rate is low – just 1 in 10 people in the UK survive an OHCA. The more awareness surrounding PDAs and an increase in locations will help increase the rate of survival.