PAD Site Case Study

In August 2015, a Sainsbury’s Local store opened in Billingshurst High Street. Previously the store had been owned by Budgens and before Sainsbury’s took over, they renovated the building. BEAT saw an opportunity whilst the work was taking place to try to set up a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) site.

BEAT worked with Sainsbury’s and their developer Williams Southern Limited, to get the site set up. Sainsbury’s made BEAT their first charity of the year and throughout their first year of trading, made various donations to the group. North West Sussex Seagulls (a Brighton and Hove Albion supporters group) made a donation to BEAT towards the cost of the defibrillator and Williams Southern made a donation to BEAT to fund the cabinet.

The site has since been activated a number of times, most notably perhaps in December 2019. A 48-year-old local man, Marc, had driven back from Brighton and had popped into Sainsbury’s prior to returning to his home in Billingshurst. Whilst in Sainsbury’s, Marc suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. The defibrillator was retrieved and bystanders started CPR. The defibrillator delivered shocks to Marc’s heart prior to the arrival of two off-duty BEAT members, various SECAmb ambulance resources and the Kent Surrey Sussex Air Ambulance. Marc was stabilised on scene, airlifted to St. George’s Hospital and after treatment went on to make a full recovery.

A lot of people were involved in helping Marc, both when he collapsed and with his treatment in the days and weeks which followed. Marc’s story helps highlight the importance of Community First Responder teams and the GoodSam app, it also helps to demonstrate the enormous skills of both SECamb and Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance crews and the amazing team at St. Georges Hospital.

Some of the most important factors which contributed to Marc’s survival were early bystander CPR and the delivery of shocks from a public access defibrillator.

BEAT is very grateful to all of the individuals, companies, organisations and local councils who have made it possible to set up over 30 public access sites in Billingshurst and the surrounding areas, Marc (pictured above) and his loved ones are grateful too. Many thanks to Marc for allowing us to share his story.