South Shields Transport Interchange has become the latest location to be fitted with a life saving defibrillator. The device has been installed in the Metro concourse and is registered on the National Defibrillator Network.
Cllr Tracey Dixon, Leader of South Tyneside Council, said: “We want the travelling public and visitors to South Shields to feel safe and confident that they will be helped in an emergency situation, so it’s great to have this valuable life-saving device available on site for the public to use. Every second counts in cardiac arrest situations and prompt access to a defibrillator could mean the difference between life and death. They are critical in giving someone suffering a cardiac arrest the best chance of survival.”
Defibrillators can help to restore heart rhythm when someone goes into cardiac arrest, with them being attached to a patients chest and give an electric shock to the heart to restart a normal beat.
Kevin Leonard, Customer Service Operations Manager at Nexus, said: “It’s vital that our busiest stations have defibrillators, which is why I’m delighted to say we have invested in one for South Shields Transport Interchange. The device is registered on the national network, which means that if anyone is in need of urgent medical care, they will get that vital support when they need it most.
“Our own frontline Metro team have been briefed on what they need to do, but the defibs are also there for a member of the public to use in the event someone has suffered a cardiac arrest. When you dial 999 the North East Ambulance Service will always know where the nearest defib is located.”
Defibrillators are already installed at Monument and Haymarket stations (as well as on the Shields Ferry) and will also be fitted to all 46 of the new trains for the Tyne and Wear Metro.