Farron: Government should fund defibrillators in rural areas

Following recent reports about long queues for ambulances at local A&E departments, South Lakes MP Tim Farron has called on the Health Secretary to fund defibrillators in rural areas.

Recent data uncovered by Tim showed that ambulances arriving at RLI have had to wait up to almost four hours to drop patients off, meaning they are unable to get back out to answer calls.

Tim has submitted a question to the Health Secretary, pushing for the government to fund defibrillators in rural areas.

Tim said: "For someone who has just suffered a cardiac arrest, every minute counts. Getting to rural areas quickly can be difficult even at the best of times. The current A&E crisis we face means ambulances are spending hours queuing at the hospital, meaning it takes them longer to get back out. A defibrillator can make the difference between life and death in an emergency.

"Many local councillors in South Lakeland have chosen to use their budgets to provide defibrillators in rural areas. However, given that they can mean the difference between life and death, the government should look at directly funding defibrillators in rural areas. This could save lives - the government shouldn't try to save cash."