Tynedale man's death raises fears on defibrillator maintenance

The man collapsed near his home in Allendale town centre and members of the public tried to save his life.

Staff from Allendale Pharmacy were notified and employee Vicki Makepeace arrived as he was still breathing. She ran to get the defibrillator from outside The Kings Head. 

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Her colleague, Claire White, also arrived to help when Vicki returned with the machine. 

The man died after the defibrillator failed to work (Image: Pixabay)

"The defibrillator came up with a glowing spanner on it, basically saying it wasn't working," Claire said. She performed CPR while Vicki went to get another defibrillator from the Community Sports Hall.

"She came back but we could tell he was gone. We tried the defibrillator and the police and ambulance service turned up and confirmed he was dead," Claire said.

The incident has caused concern among the rural community, including one of the man's friends, Charlie Halliday, as to whether defibrillators are properly maintained in Northumberland.

He said: "My worry is that the defibrillator was in the middle of the village. If someone like a child or visitor has a heart attack in the middle of the village, that machine is there to save their life. 

"By the time you went to that box, opened it up and found out it didn't work, that person could have died. That's what worries me, it's a disgrace.

"The defibrillator boxes don't tell you who to ring such as an emergency number, the only thing it has on is 'dial 999' for the code to get in and that's it. 

"I want to know who's going to do something about it, the defibrillator box looks neglected and rusty.

"What's happening with all the defibrillators lying around Northumberland - are they all working? Is the defibrillator in your town serviceable? What are we going to do about it?" 

The British Heart Foundation said without immediate intervention with a defibrillator, most cardiac arrests are fatal. The equipment is vital, especially in rural areas, where emergency services can take longer to get to and provide medical care.

The BHF's website, Defib finder, shows available machines in the area. The closest one to Allendale's town centre which is currently available is approximately a mile away.

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said it was not responsible for maintaining the equipment, but that appointed community guardians are tasked with maintaining defibrillators and updating The Circuit online database which displays available defibrillators to the service. 

The defibrillator was installed and maintained by a former landlord of The Kings Head several years ago after funds were raised to purchase it. The only existing agreement on behalf of the pub regarding the equipment is that the pub supplies electricity for the defibrillator.

The new landlord, Phil Ashmore, has been at the pub for six months and said he didn't know the last time the defibrillator was serviced.

He added the defibrillator also needs a new box to be stored in, as the existing one is 'rotten'. 

A meeting will take place in The Kings Head pub at 7.30pm on August 22 to discuss what the community can do to prevent future incidents.

An Allendale Parish Council spokesperson said they did not know who had the responsibility for maintaining the machine.

A NEAS spokesperson said: "We were called to an incident in the Hexham area on Friday, August 16 to reports of an unwell male. We dispatched two ambulance crews and one clinical team leader to the scene.

“We also deployed two defibrillators using a database made available to us from the British Heart Foundation.

“This database, known as The Circuit, shows all the community defibrillators that are ‘emergency ready’ for ambulance services across the country should they be needed.

“For this incident, the defibrillator was showing on The Circuit database as emergency ready and we deployed it accordingly.

“Community guardians are responsible for maintaining defibrillators in their care and updating The Circuit database. Guardians voluntarily provide important support to fund and maintain defibrillators in their communities.

“We will work closely with the current guardian and British Heart Foundation to look into this incident and to ensure that all procedures to maintain defibrillators are in place.”

Hexham MP Joe Morris said: "I was saddened to hear about the passing of a gentleman in Allendale on Friday. My heartfelt condolences go out to his family and all those in the Allendale community. Members of the Allendale community have raised issues with the defibrillator in the community.

"Defibrillators are incredibly important in our rural communities, where access to emergency medical care can often take longer for residents to receive. It is right that any issues with the operation of the defibrillator are investigated and addressed, alongside the wider concerns that are being raised by the Allendale community.

"I will be writing to the North East Ambulance Service to request their assistance in the provision of a replacement defibrillator for The Kings Head, ensuring that Allendale residents can access lifesaving medical equipment."

A Northumbria Police spokesperson said officers are not treating the death as suspicious, and a report will be made for the coroner.

"At around 12.40pm on Friday, August 16, we received a report via the ambulance service of concern for the welfare of a man in the Allendale area of Northumberland.

"Emergency services attended but sadly the 93-year-old man died at the scene."

Find your nearest defibrillator at https://www.defibfinder.uk/.