HC Deb 13 March 2001 vol 364 cc591-2W
Mr. Borrow

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what representations he has received from the Resuscitation Council UK on the decision to adopt a four-hour course for the Defibrillators in Public Places programme; [153058]

(2) if he will list the members of the Defibrillator Advisory Committee; [153054]

(3) what consultation took place between his Department and the European Resuscitation Council before the decision to adopt a four-hour course for the Defibrillators in Public Places programme; and what representations his Department received from the Council. [153057]

Yvette Cooper

The issue of training for people designated to use defibrillators installed under the Defibrillators in Public Places initiative has been given thorough and careful consideration by the Defibrillator Advisory Committee, which has supported the adoption of a four-hour training course covering basic life support and the use of automated external defibrillator devices.

The Defibrillator Advisory Committee is an expert external reference group which includes cardiology and resuscitation experts (including from the Resuscitation Council United Kingdom), representatives from voluntary aid societies, ambulance services, the police, and patients' interest groups.

The Resuscitation Council UK endorses guidelines for the practice of resuscitation recommended by the European Resuscitation Council (ERC). It has not, however, adopted the ERC's suggestion of a course based on a total of eight hours' tuition, which does not form part of the ERC's formal guidelines. The ERC's guidelines themselves are published in the full understanding that they may require modification to reflect circumstances that exist in individual countries.

The full membership of the Defibrillator Advisory Committee is as follows: Mr. John Nelson (Chair)—Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Mrs. Eve Knight—British Cardiac Patients Association Mr. Chris Hulley—Assistant Chief Constable, British Transport Police Professor Douglas Chamberlain—Chairman, Joint Royal Colleges and Ambulance Liaison Committee Mr. Martin Shalley—Consultant in Accident and Emergency Medicine, Birmingham Heartlands Hospital Dr. Mick Colquhoun—Secretary, Resuscitation Council(UK) Professor Sir Charles George"Medical Director, British Heart Foundation Baroness Audrey Emerton—Chief Commander, St. John Ambulance Dr. Michael Webb—St. John Ambulance Dr. Gordon Paterson—Chief Medical Adviser, British Red Cross Society Mrs. Lesley Whitesmith—Resuscitation Training Officer Dr. Tom Evans—Consultant Cardiologist, Royal Free Hospital Mr. Gron Roberts—Essex Ambulance Service NHS Trust Mr. Richard Mawson—Chief Executive, Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust Dr. Roger Boyle—National Heart Director, Department of Health Mr. Tom Quinn—Health Services Directorate, Department of Health Ms Sian Davies—National Defibrillator Project Manager, British Heart Foundation (for Department of Health)