Whitbread Installs Automated External Defibrillators in 800 Premier Inn Hotels

Whitbread has installed defibrillators in all of its 800 Premier Inn and hub by Premier Inn hotels in the UK.

Premier Inn welcomes millions of guests each year and this significant investment has been hailed as having the potential to save countless lives – and indeed has already done so within just days of installation.

On 1 January 2020, a guest at a pub next to Premier Inn Westminster hub on London’s Tothill Street was in cardiac arrest when the first responder spotted a sticker alerting him to the fact a defibrillator was available in the neighbouring Premier Inn hotel. The equipment was lent to the response team, who later confirmed it successfully saved the patient’s life.

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) or simply, a defibrillator, is a machine that delivers an electric shock through the heart of a person in cardiac arrest. This shock, which is called defibrillation, is designed to return a heart to its normal working rhythm.

Premier Inn’s defibrillators are all fully automatic devices. Once opened, the machine will talk the user through what to do. It will analyse whether a shock should be delivered and, if so, tell the user when to do so. Alternatively, it may ask the user to carry out CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) also known as chest compressions. All the user has to do is follow the instructions and no training is required.

If a guest or passer-by is having a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) these devices can make a life-saving difference before the emergency services arrive.

Each Premier Inn defibrillator is registered with the emergency services, making them aware of the locations so that in the case of an emergency, the nearest hotel could not only save a guest’s life but also a member of the public.

Anthony Marsh, Chairman of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, said, “I very much welcome the decision by Whitbread to place a defibrillator at each of their Premier Inn hotels – it’s a move which could save countless lives and I hope other major hotel chains follow suit. A cardiac arrest can happen to absolutely anyone; young or old, fit or not. When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, not to be confused with a heart attack, they are clinically dead; their heart has stopped beating and they will not recover unless someone is prepared to start CPR quickly and a defibrillator is attached to them to reset the heart. Currently, the survival rate from cardiac arrests in the UK is tragically low at around 7%, but by increasing the number of defibrillators available and growing the number of people prepared to carry out CPR, that figure can be improved markedly. The reality is that increasing the number of defibrillators could make the difference between life and death and ultimately give friends and families the chance to spend time with their loved ones that they would not otherwise have had.”

The Powerheart G5 Defibrillators have been provided by Cardiac Science. Cardiac Science is a global organisation who manufacture and distribute this life-saving equipment to companies, healthcare professionals, emergency responders, and the general public.

Shaun Ingram, Managing Director of Cardiac Science UK, said, “We are delighted and very proud to be working with Premier Inn on this sector-leading initiative. Not only does this significant investment demonstrate Premier Inn’s commitment to protecting their employees and guests, but by making them accessible 24/7, it allows broader communities to also benefit, for which they should be congratulated.”

SCA kills up to 60,000 people in the UK every year and affects people of all ages. A sudden cardiac arrest refers to a problem with the heart’s electrical system causing it to suddenly stop beating normally. For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation, an SCA victims’ likelihood of survival decreases by up to 10%. Having a defibrillator on hand can be the difference between life and death.

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