The journey to become a Heartsafe campus has started at De Montfort University (Leicester). At a launch event on 16 October 2024, DMU took the first steps towards this objective, highlighting the importance of achieving a truly Heartsafe space.
What is a Heartsafe Campus?
A Heartsafe campus requires making, as Tom Weir Development and Fundraising Manager at DMU said, “the safest possible space for anyone to suffer from a cardiac arrest or heart attack, outside of a medical setting.”
There are many steps we can take to start to ensure that this ambition becomes a reality.
Firstly, ensuring that as many people on campus are able to perform CPR in the case of an emergency. The BHF reported in early 2024 that 43 percent of people in the UK had never learnt any CPR. There are, according to the BHF, 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year. This means that a significant portion of the population wouldn’t be equipped to perform CPR on a friend, family member, or member of the public.
Secondly, making sure that people on campus are aware of where the defibrillators are, and how to use them effectively.
How did the Heartsafe campus initiative start?
The initiative first came into effect when Christine and Ian Redfern created the concept with DMU academic Professor Ivan Brown. Christine and Ian’s son, Adam, a former DMU student, and subsequently a staff member in the Communications team, sadly died from a cardiac arrest in 2021. Adam had been going for a run in a public area when he entered cardiac arrest. No one was able to reach him soon enough to administer CPR.
Following Adam’s passing, his parents set up the Adam Redfern Memorial Trust which provides sponsorships for Media students at DMU. This year, Film Studies students Rey Dempsey and Deepanjali Patel were named winners of the award, which supported them to buy equipment to further their studies at DMU.
It is from here that they became involved with launching the Heartsafe campus initiative at DMU.
What was the Heartsafe Launch event?
At an event on the 16 October, DMU launched the campaign for a Heartsafe campus in the Breathing Space, in the Portland Building. Tom Weir explained the background of the project, and why it is so important.
Christine and Ian Redfern then spoke about why the campaign matters so much to them. In particular they highlighted the need for fast response to a cardiac arrest, and how important that is for the survival chances of the person experiencing one. Research in the UK has shown that:
- Immediate initiation of CPR can double or quadruple survival from out-hospital cardiac arrest.
- Defibrillation within 3–5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates up to 50–70%.
- Each minute of delay reduces the probability of survival to hospital discharge by 10%.
Following speeches from the Deputy Lieutenant of Leicestershire Colonel Richard Hurwood, a former GP, and Simon Oldroyd, Pro Vice-Chancellor Sustainability and Dean of Health and Life Sciences, Tom introduced a film created by performing arts and media production students highlighting how, in stressful situations such as witnessing someone having a cardiac arrest, and without training, we can often act incorrectly.
A guided session of the British Heart Foundation’s (BHF) RevivR training followed. Staff and students were talked through how to provide potentially life-saving CPR. This innovative session used cushions to practice the force and rhythm of chest compressions used in CPR.
What are the next steps for the Heartsafe campus project?
The next steps for a Heartsafe campus will build on the strong start of the event in October 2024. A further training event is planned for February 2025. Online versions of the RevivR training are available on demand here.
The annual Run for Redfern event will take place on 9 March. The 5k run raises funds for the Adam Redfern Memorial Trust.
Posted on Thursday 19 December 2024