Ipswich Round Table to install 16 defibrillators across town

The Ipswich Round Table has outlined its plans to increase the number of 24-hour defibrillators that are available across Suffolk's county town. 

The campaign has been run by members Adie Game and Grant Houlden and is fuelled by a real-life incident where swift access to an automated external defibrillator (AED) was crucial in saving the life of a woman.

The Round Table said that Ipswich has 128 AEDs but access to them is limited, resulting in an average response time of 12 minutes for cardiac arrests, which is below the national target. 

"This initiative crucially aims to narrow this vital time gap, increasing the chances of survival during cardiac emergencies," the Round Table said. 

The group says that immediate access to a defibrillator could take the survival rate of a cardiac arrest from 6% to 74%.

The Round Table has already installed five such AEDs in various locations across the town, and aims to add 11 more to that list.

Gilmour Piper's Paul Berry and Mark Newman along with round table's Grant Houlen in front of their AED (Image: Adie Game)

Host of an AED Gilmour Piper said: "Their [the Round Table] idea and vision to improve the number of accessible defibrillators for public use within our local community was something we were keen to support.

"As always, we hope that it will never be needed, but it is reassuring to the patients of Gilmour Piper and the wider community in Ipswich that a defibrillator is available to all.”

This project was made possible with funding of more than £20,000 from Ipswich Round Table and Ipswich Borough Council, along with contributions from site hosts.

The group is now inviting people from the community, local businesses and philanthropists to participate by donating, volunteering or spreading the word of the campaign.