Dental Practices Lacking Life-Saving Equipment
A recent survey has revealed that a large number of dental practices in the UK are lacking life-saving equipment. In a poll, over half of staff members from dental practices said that they were unsure whether or not there was a defibrillator at their place of work.
The survey revealed that 54 per cent of staff members from GP practices and dental clinics said that their workplace did not have a defibrillator on-site; the research also showed that 36 per cent of people were either unable to use the equipment or did not feel confident using a defibrillator.
The findings of the study have provoked concern that life-saving equipment is not available in places where there is a genuine risk of people falling ill. In the UK, 124,000 people have a heart attack every year and they can affect a person of any age.
The managing director of DOC UK, Vincent Mathieu, said that education needs to be improved so that people are able to use the defibrillator and feel confident that they could employ the equipment in the event of a patient suffering cardiac arrest.
The survey also showed that health practitioners are wary of using a defibrillator; 48 per cent of people admitted that they were apprehensive about using life-saving equipment because they were fearful of further injuring the patient or being held accountable in the event of anything going wrong.
Dr Stephan Van Wyk, from the Bridge Dental Centre, East Twickenham, said that it is not an essential requirement for dental practices to have a defibrillator, but it is recommended and it gives patients peace of mind that the practice is equipped to deal with any situation.
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