A father whose ex-wife died from a heart attack at the age of just 43 is campaigning for every business to provide a defibrillator. David Lund, who is the Fire Systems Training Manager at Chubb Fire & Security in the UK, is petitioning the government to make it law that businesses giving members of the public access to their premises must supply, maintain and make available automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Chubb is backing David’s petition by taking action to make sure every one of its operational branches across the UK has the life-saving equipment. “My ex-wife passed away at the end of April following a sudden heart attack,” said David. “She was 43 years young and had the rest of her life devoted to our two children, Luke and Megan. The shocking realisation is that there is no legal requirement for businesses (particularly those who give access to the general public) to provide an AED. “Only around 5% of ‘out-of-hospital’ heart attack cases survive. This is an appalling statistic and needs immediate action.” Recently released research shows that women are twice as likely to die after a heart attack than men, although there is a perception that the condition is predominantly a male issue. They also get half the number of heart attack treatments as men, according to research from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. David said he believes that the initial cost of the AED and maintenance to replace shock pads, coupled with a non-enforceable statutory requirement for the provision of this equipment, may be deterring businesses from installing defibrillators. In the run-up to British Heart Week (June 7-15), he has published a petition directly with the UK Government for the following actions: 1. The pre-VAT cost of AED equipment to be included in the business’s annual tax return. What this means for the business is that what they pay for the equipment is written off against their business tax bill, essentially making the equipment free. 2. The pre-VAT cost of all associated accessories to be included in the business’s annual tax return. This means the cost of replacement pads, should they be used or go out of date, are also covered. 3. To make it law that requires businesses to give members of the public access to their premises; to supply, maintain and make available AED equipment. Currently, there is no legal requirement for UK workplaces or public spaces to have a defibrillator – although schools are the exception and must have at least one AED on the premises. David’s petition already has 1,411 signatures. It needs 10,000 signatures before the government will respond to the petition and 100,000 to be considered for debate in Parliament. On the day of Hayley’s funeral, David said, “As I walk her in to the church today, I’ll be feeling a great sense of gratitude to those who have supported my campaign so far. “I also remain positive that there are so many more who haven’t signed yet, and this offers me great comfort as there’s still mileage in this petition.”  The support David’s petition visit: Require AEDs in publicly accessible businesses and make tax deductible – Petitions (parliament.uk)

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