As Heart Week (6-12 May) raises awareness of how to keep our tickers in check, Member of Parliament for Kiama, Gareth Ward, and Blue Haven Bonaira resident, Mike Newcombe, are lobbying for a similar cause to ensure heart starters are strategically placed and maintained within our community. 

In 2023, Ward gave notice in Parliament of the Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) (Public Access) Bill, which would see defibrillators become mandatory in public buildings and transport. This bill would also aim to introduce mandatory registers of clearly marked and maintained defibrillators, as already stipulated in the United States, South Korea and 15 other European countries. The bill; however, lapsed in accordance with Standing Orders between Parliamentary sittings. A delay which could essentially be a matter of life and death. 

“On average, 3,800 people in New South Wales die from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year. More than 70 percent could have been saved if they had access to a defibrillator. That figure is several times the national road toll. Put simply, this bill will save lives,” says Ward.

“Defibrillators last about seven years, with ultra-portable defibrillators lasting about one year. It is concerning that one-fifth of PADs are non-functional when tested, potentially wasting time and worsening outcomes in time-critical cardiac arrest management. The current lack of regulation is contributing to avoidable deaths.”

“South Australia has introduced similar measures, and I couldn’t think of a better time during Heart Week to give notice of this bill.”

In the lead up to this year’s National Heart Week, Ward revived his intention to introduce the bill, which is yet to be debated or voted on in the Legislative Assembly. In the meantime, he has taken heart in visiting the model village Blue Haven Bonaira has become, with monumental efforts and fundraising made by Newcombe and fellow residents to roll out widespread state-of-the-art AEDs throughout every floor, and in other main thoroughfares within the retirement village. 

It was Newcombe’s son and local Senior Staff Specialist in Emergency and Retrieval Medicine, Mark Newcombe, who got the wheels in motion for this potentially life-saving upgrade to the facility, having queried the accessibility of AEDs when Newcombe, who has had a bypass himself, moved in approximately three years ago.

“I wasn’t sure what an AED even was to start with,” chuckles Newcombe, a former engineer.

“I checked with the committee that it was okay to look around, and there were none. There was one buried in the nursing home, I believe. But that was too far away from us. There are 59 units here, and often a couple of people in each one, yet no AED available. I told the committee we needed to do something about that, but in those days the cost was out of our reach to do it properly. They were around $3,000 each.”

What Newcombe soon discovered after conducting his own research was an Australian TGA-approved product to recently hit the market, CellAED. Much more affordable and easier to house, transport and utilise, this discovery made approximately one year ago suddenly allowed the dream to become reality. 

“They are one-tenth of the cost, about $300-$400 roughly, and very simple to use. They just sit on a bracket on the wall with a sticker above it, and all you have to do is crack it open and place two pads onto the person,” says Newcombe, holding one comfortably in the palm of his hand. 

“The first step was then to decide how many we needed, keeping in mind they need to be placed in timely accessible locations. You have only got a very small window. Every minute that passes, the chance of recovery reduces. You have got to use it within the first five or so minutes otherwise you lose the patient.”

Newcombe and his team calculated that 16 AEDs were required to cater for one on each of the four floors in all four buildings, along with additional installations in the garages, the café and the main hall. Having done the math on cost to install CellAED products in all required spaces, Newcombe took the figures and proposition to Kiama Council, as current owners of the premises.

“Council generously chipped in a couple of thousand dollars. The rest has been funded by residents, including ongoing maintenance,” explains Newcombe.

“Every AED is battery operated and must be serviced every year – because if that battery goes flat, they are useless. Each of these devices has a green light that will flash every minute or so, which means it is operational. If it is red, it says the battery is getting low. The sim inside it will contact its base every month and tell them that it is operational. If it fails for some reason, it tells them there is a problem and they send a new one out.

“The next step is now training, because AEDs are of no use if somebody doesn’t know what they are or what they do, or have confidence in using them.”

It certainly pays to have family in high and helpful places, with Necombe’s son sharing his medical know-how by delivering a training session for residents to gain confidence around when and how to use AEDs. 

“Lots of people have been worried about doing something wrong, but as soon as you put the pads on, it does an ECG first and then talks to you. It says ‘shock required’ and then does its thing. It determines how much shock is required – it will do shock one, and then two, and then three if necessary. It is very clever.”

“They are meant for sudden cardiac arrest, which is different from a heart attack. Many people don’t know the difference. A heart attack can be described as a really bad pain, like somebody standing on your chest. Sudden cardiac arrest is when the heart just stops. The person drops to the ground and is unconscious. This could be called a heart starter. It shocks the heart back into its rhythm again.”

Fortunately, Blue Haven Bonaira residents haven’t had to use one of the CellAED devices yet, which Newcombe lightheartedly admits really would be, “the proof in the pudding.” However, this well-considered rollout provides peace of mind, particularly among an ageing demographic. 

Although, as Newcombe reiterates, sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone of any age and any health status.

“There are about 20,000 deaths in Australia every year from sudden cardiac arrest. There is no discriminatory age about it. It can even happen to infants, and a fair number of footballers have suddenly dropped on the field,” he cautions. 

Ward had advised Newcombe from the outset that if he was going to do this, he may as well do it properly - and Newcombe has gone above and beyond to do just that and more. Ward will be in attendance at the residential training on Friday 24 May, hopefully with a much anticipated update regarding the progress with his bill in Parliament.