NHS Online Public Talk on 'Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Addressing Health Inequalities and Saving Lives'

If you would like to join the talk on Tuesday 4th March at 7 pm on Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrest: Addressing Health Inequalities and Saving Lives, please email membership@scas.nhs.uk to register.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a critical, life-threatening emergency where the heart stops beating. Immediate intervention with CPR and, when needed, defibrillation is essential. Each minute without these lifesaving measures decreases a person's chance of survival by up to 10%. In the UK, OHCA impacts approximately 80,000 individuals annually. Despite advancements in resuscitation science and an increase in bystander CPR, survival rates remain alarmingly low, with fewer than one in ten people (9.5%) surviving an OHCA.

The UK NHS Ambulance Services play a vital role in tackling health inequalities linked to OHCA. Liam Sagi, National Strategic Lead for Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), discusses how socio-economic deprivation, ethnicity, and cultural background can influence a person's chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. These disparities in health outcomes are avoidable, unfair, and rooted in systemic inequalities. Health inequalities are evident in the prevalence, treatment, and outcomes of cardiac arrests. Liam will also explore the broader initiatives led by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) to enhance the national response to OHCA.

Duncan Robertson, Chief Paramedic, SCAS, will share the work of SCAS in addressing these disparities. They will highlight efforts to strengthen the "chain of survival" through promoting basic lifesaving skills and fostering defibrillator awareness and guardianship.

'Join us for an insightful and interesting talk on OHCA that will includes a 10-minute interactive CPR demonstration. Learn how to save a life, no matter where you live.'