2500 St George’s nurses have now completed specialist training which is helping to save the lives of patients seriously ill patients in hospital.

The immediate life support (ILS) training which includes an early warning system, teaches staff to recognise and prevent patients suffering cardiac arrests.

Paula McLean, Resuscitation Service Manager explains:

“We took the opportunity to review and change the way we deliver life support training when new monitoring standards were introduced.

“The programme offers a higher level of life support training and is targeted at staff caring for the most acutely ill patients, with the aim of reducing the number of cardiac arrests.

“Our staff have embraced the new training programme and, as a result of their efforts, we have seen the number of St George’s inpatients suffering confirmed cardiac arrests reduce by more than half, from 450 in 2003 to 196 in 2007.”

Notes to editors

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