Footballer saved by defibrillator hands in petition

A footballer who said he "would not be here" without a defibrillator has handed in a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to scrap VAT on the devices.

North Kilworth FC's Jack Hurley was 19 and had no known heart issues when he collapsed warming up for a match in Husbands Bosworth, Leicestershire, in June last year.

A nearby defibrillator was used to restart his heart before paramedics arrived.

Mr Hurley attended 10 Downing Street on Wednesday to hand in a letter signed by 46 MPs as well as charities and thousands of supporters of the campaign, which aims to make defibrillators more affordable and more accessible.

Mr Hurley, from Claybrooke Magna, said: "Had that defibrillator not been in the pavilion, I would not be here today.

"A defibrillator is not a luxury item - so why would you want VAT on something that you are not going to use unless you have to?

"It's lifesaving equipment.

"We argue that it's like car insurance - you're paying, hopefully not to use it, but in the event you do need to use it, it's there."

The survival rate for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK is 8%, but using a defibrillator can increase the survival rate to 70% if treatment is administered within minutes, according to National Institute for Health and Care Excellence figures.

The government provides VAT relief to help organisations buy defibrillators and other first aid equipment.

But David Stockdale, chief executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association, said: "With VAT relief, the charities that have a medical purpose or aim can indeed reclaim it back.

"But if you are somebody who is raising money to have a defibrillator in your local housing estate, they would have to pay - likewise for local charities or sports associations.”

A Treasury spokesperson previously said a £1m grant scheme had been set up to help community organisations buy automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

The spokesperson said: "We take the safety of the public seriously and provide several VAT reliefs to help organisations buy defibrillators and other first aid equipment."

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