Premier Inn, the UK’s biggest hotel company, which is owned by Whitbread, has revealed that team members in the West Midlands used its lifesaving defibrillators on two guests within the space of just 48 hours.
Incredibly, AEDs (commonly known as defibrillators), which were installed back in 2020, were used twice within two days as team members sprang into action to aid unwell guests.
Firstly, a guest at the Cannock South Premier Inn came to reception, to inform a team member that her husband was unconscious. The team acted quickly, called the emergency services, and were advised by them to give CPR before then administering the defibrillator on the guest. This was successful and the paramedics then attended and took over before taking the guest to hospital for further treatment.
Just 48 hours later, a guest at Tewkesbury Premier Inn informed team members that her husband was poorly. After contacting emergency services, acting hotel manager Dariusz Rafinski, was advised to perform CPR before then using the defibrillator on the guest, prior to the ambulance’s arrival, before the guest was taken to hospital for further treatment.
William Trevor Cox, 20, Team Leader at Beefeater Cannock (pictured), said, ‘I was cashing up for the night at the restaurant when a guest was on the floor unable to breath. I was asked to use the defibrillator (AED) by the 999 operator and used my first aid training to good use.
'The AED machine is very easy to use and tells you exactly what to do. I’m pleased to say that I was able to assist before emergency services had arrived. In situations like this you need to act quickly and think of what’s in the best interest for the person needing help’.
Premier Inn Managing Director, Simon Ewins said, “We are absolutely delighted our equipment has once again been put to good use. It’s wonderful to hear our teams acted quickly and assisted the guests before the ambulance crew arrived – they are absolute heroes and the use of this lifesaving equipment, twice in as many days, goes to underline the importance of investing in this critical area..
The Powerheart G5 Defibrillators were provided by ZOLL in 2020. ZOLL offers a comprehensive set of technologies, including AEDs, that help advance emergency care, improve patient outcomes, and save lives.
Elijah White, President, ZOLL Resuscitation said, “When somebody collapses from sudden cardiac arrest, time is of the essence. Quick action and access to an AED can mean the difference between life and death.
'It takes courage to step in and help in an emergency and those that do are real heroes. ZOLL wants to thank and congratulate the teams at both Premier Inn Cannock and Tewksbury for taking action when two guests needed their help.”
Premier Inn installed defibrillators in all if its 800-plus hotels, including its hub hotels, in the event a guest or passer-by is in need in an emergency. It is the only major hotel chain in the UK to have installed defibrillators estate-wide.
All Premier Inn emergency first aiders are trained in the use of defibrillators and a first-aider is on-site at every hotel 24/7, ensuring thousands of additional trained lifesavers in the UK. Premier Inn welcomes millions of guests each year and presently its’ team members are called to administer CPR in the instance a guest suffers a cardiac arrest. So, this significant investment in the provision of immediately available defibrillators is welcomed as a huge asset and continues to prove it was an amazing investment.
At the time of installation in 2020 The Association of Ambulance Chiefs called for all major hotel chains to install defibrillators in all their hotels after a newly installed defibrillator at a Premier Inn saved a life on the first day of 2020 – just days after its installation and continues to assist guests and other people who are in cardiac arrest.
An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a device that delivers a high-energy electric shock, when required through the heart of a person in Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA). This high-energy electric shock is called defibrillation and the aim of this shock is to return a heart to its normal working rhythm.
Premier Inn installed the ZOLL Powerheart G5 automatic AED which provides step-by-step guidance throughout the rescue including high quality CPR instructions. The fully automatic AED will also administer a live saving shock automatically without the need for the rescuer to press any buttons.
If a guest or passer-by is having a Sudden Cardiac Arrest these devices can make a life-saving difference before the emergency services arrive. Each Premier Inn defibrillator is registered with the emergency services, making them aware of the locations so that in the case of an emergency, the nearest hotel could not only save a guest’s life but also a member of the public.