July 18, 2022
UK Government Mandates All English Schools to be Equipped with Defibrillators After Boy Loses Life
A According to the UK Government, by the end of the following academic year, every state school in England will be equipped with a defibrillator. The announcement comes after a ten-year campaign led by Mark King, whose son Oliver, then 12 years old, had a sudden cardiac arrest while participating in a swimming race in Liverpool in 2011.
Mr. King has been working with former England footballer Jamie Carragher to push for mandatory defibrillators in all schools since he established the Oliver King Foundation in honour of his son, who died of a cardiac arrest while swimming at the school’s pool.
…it will mean families up and down the country won't ever have to go through the pain that we did when we lost our Ollie…
After more than a decade, the British government has pledged to fund at least one defibrillator in every school, with more for bigger campuses, after working with charities like the British Heart Foundation to determine the scope of need across all English state-funded schools.
Government sources say that the first deliveries are anticipated to start before Christmas, and the total number of devices is estimated to be over 20,000.
It has been 11 years since our son Ollie tragically passed away from a sudden cardiac arrest while participating in a school swimming lesson. Our son would still be alive today if a defibrillator had been available, said Mr. King. He further added, "Since 2012, we've fought with tenacity to make defibrillators mandatory in all schools."
"I'm therefore delighted that, after our decade-long fight, the government has finally listened and schools will now be equipped with them." It will mean families up and down the country won't ever have to go through the pain that we did when we lost our Ollie. I am thankful to the MPs and ministers who've supported our campaign, particularly all of those at the Department for Education."
Jamie Carragher, the ex-Liverpool and English football player who was part of the campaign to get schools to install defibrillators said, "This is fantastic news and is testament to the relentless and unwavering campaigning of Mark and Joanne King, who've fought so hard for this moment." I am proud to have played a small part in supporting them and I am delighted that the government has committed to installing this life saving kit in all schools.
According to the Department of Education, the implementation would build on already-existing mandates that first aid be taught in schools as a required subject, with secondary students receiving instruction in life-saving techniques like CPR and the principles behind defibrillators.
Posted in News and tagged News, UK Government, Defibrillators, England, Oliver King Foundation, British Heart Foundation
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