WEDNESDAY, 1 JULY, 2015

PHOTO ATTACHED L-R FRANCES HAVENGA, MAUREEN COTTERELL, HELEN BRADY AND IRENE WATSON

Volunteers recognised for 28 years service to Heartstart Discovery

Heartstart Discovery has thanked two volunteer instructors for their contribution to the service for a combined total of 28 years.

Former nurses Irene Watson and Maureen Cotterell both began working with Heartstart Discovery after retiring from NHS Tayside in 2001.

Irene previously worked within the Cardiac Unit at Ninewells and has been assisting with Heartstart sessions for 14 years.

Maureen works in Perth as a Heartstart Discovery co-ordinator and runs regular Heartstart sessions in Perth on a Saturday morning for members of the public.

Heartstart Discovery co-ordinator Helen Brady presented Irene and Maureen with flowers at the Heartstart Discovery Annual General Meeting as a token of thanks for their many years of service.

Helen said, “This is a fantastic achievement and I would like to thank Irene and Maureen for their dedication and hard work over the past 14 years.”

Heartstart Discovery is running free two-hour training sessions in emergency life support for members of the public in Dundee, Carnoustie and Perth in July.

Being able to perform emergency life support, a set of actions needed to keep someone alive until professional help arrives, gives a casualty the best possible chance of survival.

Courses are free-of-charge and no medical knowledge is required. It only takes two hours to learn the skills which may save a life and it is very likely that the person you help may be a family member or someone close to you.

The sessions cover:

• caring for an unconscious person who is breathing

• caring for an unconscious person who is not breathing and performing CPR

• how to recognise the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and how to deal with it

• helping someone who is choking

• helping someone who is bleeding badly

Places are still available during July:

Dundee – Tuesday, 14 July – 10am-noon

Perth – Saturday, 25 July – 10am-noon

Carnoustie – Tuesday, 28 July – 7-9pm

Training sessions can also be arranged on request for groups, organisations and clubs.

Helen said, “Emergency life support skills really do save lives so please consider registering for a session today. A Heartstart session could prove to be one of the most important training sessions you have ever undertaken in your life. You can make a difference.”

For further details and to register please contact Helen Brady on 01382 740400 or helenjbrady@nhs.net

Contact:

Lyndsey Daun

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138