A CARLISLE clinic has installed a public defibrillator, not only to improve the safety of its patients but also the community. 

VL Aesthetics installed the device at the end of June and all its staff have been trained in its use, with the safety device being placed on the outside of their building for access by the general public.

One in 10 people will survive a heart attack outside a hospital without treatment, according to the British Heart Foundation, but figures from the London Ambulance show that when a public access defibrillator was used by a bystander and at least one shock was delivered to patients, the survival rate was more than five times higher.

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Vanessa Brown, managing director of VL Aesthetics, said they were inspired to get one after learning that the nearest alternative was at Morrisons, a five-minute drive from their Kingmoor clinic.

"By the time you do that the chances of saving someone's life are hugely minimised because it's too far away and it takes too long to get a paramedic to the area.

"So that's why we wanted to get one on site because if anything was to happen locally at least we can deal with that instantly," she said. 

The clinic is registered with the Care Quality Commission after undergoing a thorough assessment of its protocols and risk assessments with ongoing monthly checks.

It’s recent review showed an overall rating of ‘Good’ and in the category well-led the clinic received an ‘outstanding’ rating.

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