Laxey Dental Surgery is now equipped with a life saving defibrillator.

Subsidised by the Microgaming Hospital Trust, the surgery’s the latest business to join the initiative to promote the training and provision of lifesaving automatic external defibrillators (AEDs).

Should an emergency occur, it’s imperative the community’s aware such equipment is available and the surgery closed for the entire day to ensure every member of staff undertook specialist training at Noble’s Hospital, which was lead by Wyn Kewley, resuscitation officer on behalf of the Trust.

The defibrillator will be available not just to patients but to the wider community. Those that suffer an acute cardiac arrest have a very significantly enhanced chance of survival if resuscitated in the first few minutes following the attack.

Practice Manager Katharine Partington commented: ‘We pride ourselves in offering the best service we can to our patients. This also extends to the local community in Laxey. It is so important that we have these kinds of lifesaving facilities out in the community and I urge more companies to get involved with the scheme.

‘Laxey Dental Surgery is an independent practice and does not and never has had assistance from the public purse. The help provided by the Microgaming Hospital Trust to enables us to have this potentially lifesaving equipment is therefore very much appreciated.’

The Microgaming Hospital Trust has subsidised the purchase of 20 machines and the training of several staff for many private and public sector companies across the Island.

Companies which have a defibrillator onsite and trained personnel to operate it can be identified with a HeartStart sticker displayed either in the window or in a visible location.