New life-saving defibrillator installed outside Lancaster nightclub

The Sugarhouse Club on Sugarhouse Alley has recently had the device installed for the community to use, in partnership with The Oliver King Foundation.

The defibrillator is on the outside wall down Sugarhouse Alley and registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, so that it can be quickly and easily located during an emergency.

The foundation was set up in January 2012 following the tragic death of Oliver King. Oliver died from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, a hidden heart condition.

The foundation has now placed more than 5,900 defibrillators across the UK and trained 135,000 people in defibrillator awareness and saved 69 lives with their defibrillators.

CPR alone can double the chances of survival but when you use a defibrillator in additional to quality CPR the odds of someone’s survival can jump from around 6% to 74%. Research has shown that deploying a defibrillator within three to five minutes of collapse can produce survival rates as high as 50-70%.

The defibrillator speaks to the user, guiding them through how to use it and will automatically detect if the casualty is in a shockable heart rhythm.

Since September 2020, CPR has become a mandatory topic on the national curriculum in England so all young people should have learned how to give CPR and use a defibrillator confidently by the time they leave secondary school.

Safety has always been a major focus for The Sugarhouse and the team strive to ensure they are continuing to providing a safe experience for everybody. They continue to work closely with the local community and university to create a fun and safe club night for everybody to enjoy.

What exactly is a defibrillator?

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest. This high energy shock is called defibrillation, and it's an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who’s in cardiac arrest.

How and when to use a defibrillator

A defibrillator should be used when a person is in cardiac arrest. CPR should be done until you can get a defibrillator.

If you see someone having a cardiac arrest, call 999, start CPR and get someone to find a defibrillator.