SCOTLAND’S “SHAMEFUL” HEALTH INEQUALITIES EXPOSED IN CARDIAC ARREST REPORT

Scottish Labour has said that health inequalities in Scotland are costing lives, as a shocking new report reveals the gulf in cardiac arrest risk between the best and worst off

By Bill Heaney

A report by the Scottish Ambulance Service on Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests revealed that those living in the most deprived areas in Scotland are still twice as likely to have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

The survival rate for these cardiac arrests is also significantly worse for those in the poorest communities, with just 7.8 per cent of patients from the most deprived areas still alive after 30 days – the same rate as in 2011-12.

Despite having a higher incidence rate and lower survival rate, the most deprived communities have the lowest rate of Public Access Defibrillators, which can deliver a lifesaving shock to reset and restart the heart.

Scottish Labour branded these inequalities a scandal, calling on the SNP to do more to tackle these disparities and deal with the wider crisis in our NHS.

Scottish Labour Health spokesperson Jackie Baillie, right,  said “This is a heart-breaking reminder of the shameful health inequalities that continue to plague Scotland.

“It is a scandal that those in the poorest communities are so much more likely to have an out of hospital cardiac arrest and so much less likely to survive.

“Scotland’s health inequalities are costing lives – but the SNP government has failed to make sufficient progress tackling this problem.

“With our NHS stretched to breaking point, the most vulnerable will pay the harshest price for the current crisis.

“Labour will deliver a boost to health funding across the UK and the SNP must pledge to spend every penny of it on our NHS.

“The SNP must set out a real plan to close Scotland’s shocking health inequalities and end the crisis engulfing our NHS.”

Top of page: Local campaigner Sheena Nelson showing Marie McNair SNP MSP a defibrillator.