Volunteer Cardiac Response Group win National Healthcare Innovation Award

Wicklow Cardiac First Responders won a National Healthcare Innovation Award last Friday night at the 2013 Biomnis Healthcare Innovation Awards in the category, "Innovation in Quality of Service Delivery" – Community Based.

The Award was presented to Wicklow Cardiac First Responders, by Frances Fitzgerald TD, Minister for Children and Youth Affairs and Mr. John O’ Sullivan , CEO Biomnis Ireland in recognition and celebration of those working in healthcare in Ireland, who go beyond the call of duty and strive to improve the standards of patient care in this country.

Wicklow Cardiac First Responders were one of seven finalists for the category and receiving this award is recognition of all the work being carried out by cardiac volunteers right across Co. Wicklow.
The Wicklow Cardiac First Responder Scheme is the umbrella organisation for 31 Community First Responder Groups in County Wicklow and was established in 2004 specifically to assist people living in rural areas who suffer Cardiac Arrest. Volunteers are trained to international standards in:

• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
• Defibrillation
• Oxygen therapy
• Chest pain management

Every day in Ireland 14 people suffer a cardiac arrest.
Currently, the national survival rate for out of hospital cardiac arrest is 6.6%.
For these people every minute counts; their best chance of survival is defibrillation within the first 10 minutes.
Wicklow Cardiac First Responders are a group of volunteers, dispatched by the National Ambulance, in response to Chest Pain (suspected Heart Attack), Suspected Stroke, Cardiac Arrest and Choking in our communities prior to the arrival of an emergency ambulance:

• 31 Community First Responder Groups across County Wicklow
• 350 members
• On call 24/7
• Over 2000 calls to date
• At least 4 lives directly saved

The Wicklow Cardiac First Responder Scheme is a completely voluntary scheme. We receive no central funding. We self-manage the scheme under the guidance of the National Ambulance Service.
The first urban Cardiac First Responder scheme in Ireland is due to go live in Bray, Co Wicklow this June.
There is no other organisation like ours in Ireland. We are endeavouring to change that and are assisting with the establishment of several other schemes across Ireland.
We, as a nation have tackled “Smoking in the Workplace”, “Road Traffic Deaths” and “Drink Driving” and have reduced them and/or made them socially unacceptable.

L to R, John O’Reilly, Michelle Brewster, Margaret Duggan, Dean Mc Carthy, John Fitzgerald, Alan Murphy, Susan Gorman, Alan Ross, Ann Fitzgerald, Kelly Spillan and Fergal Bowers at the 2013 Biomnis Healthcare Innovation Awards.

We have to do something about Sudden Cardiac Death. We as citizens have a responsibility to future generations to make them aware and put systems in place that can tackle this scourge.
The Biomnis Healthcare Innovation Award is due recognition of the importance of Community First Responders and emphasizes the difference that trained lay people can make in life or death situations.
It is the goal of Wicklow Cardiac First Responders to enable the expansion of this scheme nationally.
The more people trained in CPR and defibrillation, the more lives will be saved

For more details contact www.wicklowcfr.ie