There are two heart conditions that need
immediate emergency care; a heart attack and a cardiac
arrest. If a person suffering from one of these doesn’t get
medical help quickly, they could die.
Heart attack
A heart attack happens when an artery becomes
obstructed, restricting the flow of blood to the heart. The most
common sign of a heart attack is chest pain, though there are other
symptoms. Left untreated it can lead to a cardiac arrest, which is
when the heart stops beating.
Cardiac arrest
A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping
blood around the body, and can be a result of heart attack,
choking or trauma.
If someone is suffering from either of
these conditions you need to call
999 for an ambulance immediately.
We have worked hard to raise awareness of the
symptoms of cardiac arrest, and we provide basic
life-support training courses.
As a result, the number of people surviving cardiac arrest has
risen significantly over the past few years, but more can still be
done.
Learn to recognise the symptoms of a heart attack or cardiac
arrest and the action you can take, and you may be able to save
someone's life.
Video: How to save a live with a
defibrillator
‘Shockingly easy’, features Paramedic Karen Walling showing what
to do if you see someone suffer a cardiac arrest, including how to
shock their heart to get it started again.
We have prepared a
text transcript for the video for site visitors who are
visually or hearing impaired
Resuscitation training courses
Have you ever thought about learning how to save someone's life?
Would you know what to do if someone suffered a
cardiac arrest,
heart attack or was choking?
We offer
Heartstart training free of charge to voluntary/community
groups and charities. We also provide
emergency life-support training to organisations in the public
and private sector at a cost.