Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke QC MP, Member of Parliament for Rushcliffe and Government Minister without Portfolio is to officially launch a community defibrillator in the car park of Nottingham pub Willow Tree on Friday 28th June, at 2pm.

In what is believed to be one of the first initiatives of its kind, a defibrillator has been installed in the pub’s car park in the event of a medical emergency in the West Bridgford vicinity in the City.

The automated external defibrillator requires no training and can be used by any member of the public to help someone suffering a suspected cardiac arrest. The machine is housed in a secure box and can be accessed by calling emergency services. The operator can give the caller a code to open the box and talk them through the instructions for use. The defibrillator itself, once placed over the chest of the patient, can diagnose if the heart rhythms have stopped and automatically implement a shock to restart the heart.

Commenting on the defibrillator Richard Coxon, general manager of Willow Tree said, “I was first approached by the local cricket club about hosting an automated external defibrillator at the pub and thought what a brilliant idea. Over the course of the last few months the pub and the cricket club have raised funds, which have been boosted by the pub’s owners Stonegate Pub Company and Nottingham Council, to fund the defibrillator. I’m delighted it is now installed and operational. Thank you to our MP, Rt Hon Ken Clarke QC MP who has kindly offered to officially launch it. We truly hope that now it is in place it never needs to be used. However, its existence offers peace of mind for the many people who live, work and play in our area of Nottingham.”