Defibrillator access review after man dies during emergency in Witham
Questions have been raised about the accessibility of local defibrillators during the incident
A man has died following a medical emergency in Witham Town Centre, raising questions about the accessibility of local defibrillators during the incident.
A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service confirmed emergency services were called to Newland Street in Witham on Thursday (23 April).
They said, "We were called to attend a medical emergency. Sadly, despite the best efforts of medical crews, the patient died at the scene."
The incident has led to a review by the ambulance service's patient safety team to address concerns about accessing a public defibrillator at the time.
In response, local charity the Witham Hub, have explained their procedures surrounding defibrillator access.
They have highlighted that defibrillators are kept in locked cabinets to ensure security and immediate availability during genuine emergencies.
When a 999 call reports a cardiac arrest, the ambulance service provides the cabinet code and marks it temporarily unavailable on their system.
However, questions have arisen about why the code was reportedly not issued during the recent emergency, and whether there was a system issue.
The door of the cabinet containing the equipment was reportedly broken by members of the public in order to gain access.
The trustees stated, "We have contacted East of England Ambulance Service and are awaiting answers."
To further aid emergency services in quickly finding cabinets, the Witham Hub is adding precise location information using what3words technology.
The trustees emphasised, "Our priority is making sure these lifesaving devices are available and accessible when needed most."