‘It’s absolutely essential’ Residents dismayed at defibrillator removal
ELDERLY residents in Tewkesbury are fearful after a defibrillator was removed from their retirement complex.
Its bosses said they feared it might be a faulty device, but residents said there did not seem to be a plan to replace it.
The issue has occurred at Marina Court in Trafalgar Road, off Bredon Road. It is an ‘extra care’ site that has 75 retirement apartments and bungalows and is run by the Anchor housing group.
It manages 54,000 homes both for rent and sale to those aged 55 and over.
Resident Colin Woodward fears that people like him and his wife could be put at risk because of the lack of a defibrillator, which is used to restart someone’s heart when it has stopped.
He said: “It’s essential here. Someone’s going to have egg on their face if something happens.
“I’m absolutely gobsmacked about it, I really am.
“It’s absolutely essential.” Mr Woodward said that on Friday, Anchor responded to his and other residents’ concerns by sending them a letter. It said the machine had degenerated because of a lack of service maintenance and that it was not clear that it would be effective if ever required.
Mr Woodward added that the letter said Anchor did not, as a rule, have defibrillators at its locations.
The organisation issued a statement about the matter.
Victoria Marshall, area manager for Marina Court, said in it: “We were not in possession of the service history for the public access defibrillator outside Marina Court and removed it to protect residents and the community from a potentially faulty device.
“We fully support the purchase and installation of defibrillators by residents at our locations and are working with them to ensure they are serviced and maintained.
“The safety of our residents and the wider community remains paramount.”