Rochdale Heartbeat was a Gold Award winner at CardiacSmart Awards

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) NHS Trust CardiacSmart Award ceremony

Rochdale Heartbeat was a Gold Award winner at the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) NHS Trust CardiacSmart Award ceremony.

The award recognises the organisation's dedication to raising awareness of heart health, basic life support and defibrillators in the local community.

CardiacSmart is part of the Chain of Survival Partnership which is growing the network of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). These are available in the community for use on people who suffer cardiac arrest outside hospitals in the North West.

The Chain of Survival aims to complement NWAS’s emergency resources to reduce death from cardiac arrest in the community. The initiative tells people how and when to access defibrillators and increases the number of people in the North West who can provide basic emergency life support and use an automated external defibrillator. It is engaging with local communities to work together to establish defibrillators and community responders.

Bob Williams, Chief Executive of NWAS, said: “The CardiacSmart Award encourages people to take action and save the lives of people who suffer from a cardiac arrest in the community. I am delighted to publically recognise all those who are working for safe and healthy communities – where we all want to live and work.”

The Awards were sponsored by Warrington Collegiate, Physio Control, Cardiac Science, British Gas, Lancashire Defibrillator Campaign, Green Urban, Lakes and Dales Cooperative, SADS UK, Pumping Marvellous, The ADAM Appeal and Quoron Business.