AN NHS trust is appealing for communities which would benefit from having a life-saving automated external defibrillators close by.

County Durham & Darlington NHS Foundation Trust has 30 automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to donate and wants to hear from groups and venues that would like one.

Following a routine upgrade of the trust’s defibrillators, Tracy Storey and Danielle Walker, from the Cardiac Arrest Prevention Team, saw an opportunity to benefit the local community.

Ms Storey said: “Within healthcare settings, it’s important to have the latest equipment. But the AED’s we’re giving away are in excellent working order and have been fully maintained.

“The beauty of automated external defibrillators is that they’re designed for anyone to use, no medical knowledge is necessary. You switch it on and not only does an automated voice talk you through what to do, but pictures demonstrating how to use the machine also come up on a small screen.

“The most important thing is to have a defibrillator close by when a sudden cardiac arrest happens, and that’s where we come in.”

In England, the ambulance service attempts resuscitation in approximately 25,000 cases per annum of sudden cardiac arrest but, at present, only a small proportion of these people survive.

The major factor limiting the number of people who survive sudden cardiac arrest is the ability to provide defibrillation within a critical time.

Every minute that passes, the victim’s chance of survival falls by around seven per cent to ten per cent.

AEDs provide a high energy electric shock to restore the heart’s normal rhythm.

NHS officials say they are easy to use, compact, portable and very effective. They are designed to be used by lay persons; the machines guide the operator through the process by verbal instructions and visual prompts.

They are safe and will not allow a shock to be given unless the heart’s rhythm requires it.

Darlington Woodland Bowling Club has recently received one of the AEDs.

Club secretary Tom Vout said: “We have approximately 70 players and a further 90 social members, the majority of whom are over 65.

"We have a very busy programme of activity throughout the year, including home matches against other clubs, so there are often a lot of people at the club.

"Having this defibrillator on site gives us the peace of mind that in the event of the unthinkable happening, we can take immediate action."

Clubs and other organisations interested in having one of the defibrillators should email cdda.tr-genericresus@nhs.net or phone 0191-3332829 or 01325-743533.