Ruth Edwards MP, West Bridgford Colts Chairman Peter Stansbury and coach Paul Wilson and met with the Prime Minister in Downing Street to discuss the issue of VAT on defibrillators.
This follows Ruth’s request for a meeting in PMQ’s (Prime Ministers Questions) earlier this month.
Since the tragic death of under 19s amateur footballer Dylan Rich last year, West Bridgford Colts has been campaigning for the removal of VAT from defibrillators.
In the meeting, they presented the significant savings to the NHS and the number of lives that could be saved because of increased access to defibrillators.
Sadly, Sudden Cardiac Arrests is one of the leading causes of death amongst young people and there are usually no prior symptoms. The survival rate of an “out of hospital” cardiac arrest is as low as 8%, but with a defibrillator being used within the first 3 minutes, survival chances grow to 70%.
This also means that there is less chance of long-term health problems due to a lack of circulation to the brain.
The Prime Minister was deeply sympathetic to the need to improve defibrillator access and actively discussed options to achieve the club’s goals on what is a complex matter. He has asked Treasury Ministers to work with Ruth on this issue.
Ruth Said “I am very pleased with the outcomes of the meeting last week. I feel that progress has been made and am optimistic that a solution to make AED’s more affordable and accessible will be found.
I feel very privileged to be able to support this campaign and hopefully bring about a positive change from an awful situation. My thoughts remain with Dylan’s family and friends”.
Peter Stansbury, the Chairman of West Bridgford Colts, said:
“We are thrilled with the support of Ruth Edwards and that The Prime Minister responded so well to our campaign for the removal of VAT on AED’s.
“Defibrillators are essential equipment in saving lives. Sports Club and other voluntary organisation’s need to spend money on delivering the health benefits of sport and not on taxation.
“We look forward to working with the government to encourage more access to defibrillators in the local community.”
