Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support this motion by the member for Werriwa and the member for Reid. Shoctober, Defibrillator Awareness Month, is an important issue and it is one that is close to the hearts of my community, particularly Mr Andrew White, who is from Gisborne in McEwen. Andrew is a highly experienced Victorian paramedic and founded the Defib Your Club, For Life! following the deaths of several young athletes at sporting events around Victoria, particularly that of Stephen Buckman, a 19-year-old footballer who collapsed and died of sudden cardiac arrest while at training at Rupertswood football club in May 2010. This initiative is simple: to establish a pathway that leads to educating communities on the subject of sudden cardiac arrest and demonstrate how one can easily and safely use an automatic external defibrillator in an effort to save a life.

Since the program's inception two years ago, DYCFL! has installed almost 2,000 defibrillators in community organisations, sporting clubs and local businesses. With this growth, DYCFL! will be able to further concentrate on its advocacy work within the community and with local, state and federal governments to eventually create the relevant legislative changes to make AEDs legally required in locations such as sporting clubs, organisations, workplaces, councils and the like.

In Victoria, Daniel Andrews—an ex-health minister himself—knows the value of having access to defibrillators locally and how during cardiac arrest the chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent for every minute without defibrillation. That is why our community strongly supported Daniel's announcement that an Andrews Labor government will provide 1,000 defibrillators to Victorian sporting clubs and facilities to improve survival rates for people who enter cardiac arrest. Labor's plan will make sure that a defibrillator is near so that action can be taken sooner. The question now on everybody's lips is will another former health minister, and now leader, see the value in having defibrillators available to communities right across the nation to help save lives? Calling 000 for an ambulance and early use of defibrillators, combined with CPR, are the key steps to survival. Defibrillators have been responsible for saving thousands of lives across the country, and more can be done.

Sudden cardiac arrest is more common than you would think. In fact, each year 5,000 Victorians go into sudden cardiac arrest while not in hospital—that is 14 people every day—and around 20 per cent of these happen in public places. Defibrillators can work on people of all ages. They can provide voice prompts and simple instructions for operators on how they should be used and advice on when to perform CPR. The placement of defibrillators in accessible public places is supported by the Heart Foundation, St John's Ambulance Australia, the Australian Resuscitation Council and Sports Medicine Australia. Local branches of the Men's Shed Association—a program that enables men to participate in their community and learn about men's health and wellbeing—have been applying every year for government funding to refurbish their sheds and include defibrillators.

Having access to defibrillators is becoming more important across our community. As a founding member of Australia's first community emergency response team, I learnt quickly the need for early defibrillation. CERTs consist of ambulance volunteers who function as first responders within communities where the nearest ambulance branches are at a distance. Whenever CERTs are dispatched to a job an ambulance is also dispatched. They provide emergency care until an ambulance arrives. We spent many weeks being trained in life support, and held our weekly training and maintenance with the support of Ambulance Victoria paramedics. Our defibrillation batteries were checked every 12 hours and replaced to ensure that they were in good working condition. The CERT team program also trained local community members to be better prepared to respond to emergency situations.

The chain-of-survival process can help save the lives of people suffering from cardiac arrest. These steps include recognising cardiac arrest early, early access to emergency care, early CPR and defibrillation and early advance care, such as paramedics and hospitals. The chain of survival starts with our community. With the increase of automated external defibrillators available in our community, we have to ensure that people know how easy they are to use. That is why it is important, as part as Shoctober, that we get together and support introducing defibrillators into more businesses and community groups so that we will be able to save more lives. Shoctober, an Andrews Labor government and Defib Your Club, for Life! will mean that people having sudden cardiac arrest will have a greater chance of survival in our communities.

A government member: A Daniels Labor government!

It is actually important. You should listen for once, boy. I urge the government to support this Shoctober motion and ensure that where a defibrillator is available, people can be assured that it is in good working condition.

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