[Anonymous]

[jamesay]

Witnessed someone dropping to the floor (cardio episode) in T5 lounge Sunday 12 October.
1. 5 mins before BA staff got their act together
2. 20 mins before London Ambulance staff arrived
3. 30 mins before passenger was screened off – other passengers continued to sit and eat at same table !!
I travelled with the young (passenger) doctor who was 1st respondent;
He confirmed that the only equipment BA had was for children and he was shocked that there was no defibrillator in the lounge!!!
Yikes!
Make sure you don’t have any cardio episodes in BA T5 lounge!

[Charles-P]

I’m not sure one gets much choice about where to have a heart attack.

[SimonS1]

I would have thought the BA lounge was one of the better places.

Most of my travel is around Africa and I can think of very few places that would match that response time.

[Charles-P]

‘SimonS1″ – second that. In India they would step over you

[SpeedbirdA380]

Hopefully after this BA will install the proper equipment and sharpen up their procedures.

[DNAdams]

I think the comments about Africa and India are irrelevant – why are they being compared with the BA T5 lounge which is in the UK?

The NHS ambulance service should reach most life threatening cases with 8 minutes, so 20 minutes is poor. I am also shocked (no pun intended) that there is no defibrillator in the lounge. More BA cutbacks no doubt.

[Charles-P]

“Hopefully after this BA will install the proper equipment and sharpen up their procedures”

Why ? I’m not aware of there being any legal requirement to provide resuscitation equipment in airport lounges. Who else should provide the same, McDonalds, Hugo Boss Shop, my office ?

“The NHS ambulance service should reach most life threatening cases with 8 minutes, so 20 minutes is poor”

I assume you do not live in a rural area

[JordanD]

I’m almost certain there is more to this than meets the eye – not least as both the London Ambulance Service and Heathrow Airport touted earlier this year (or was it last) that 150+ defib machines had been fitted across the Heathrow estate for use in scenarios like this.

I can’t imagine that none were in the public areas in T5 (or close by to the lounge complex).

[DNAdams]

Charles-P – You will find that most McDonalds restaurants do actually have defibrillators installed in them. I’m sure most people would be very grateful that most public places do take the initiative to have them especially when they or a loved one has a cardiac arrest and the emergency services take 20 minutes.
Also, BA T5 lounge is not a rural area is it?

[Charles-P]

The point I was making is that there is no obligation or indeed moral requirement in my view to provide medical equipment of the type that you for some reason seem to think BA should provide in their lounges. What else should they be stocking – insulin, snake bite antidote ?

If McDonalds do have them then good for them, what else should we all ‘demand’ that business’s have ?

British Airways is a commercial obligation so I don’t see why they should have the expense of providing costly medical equipment because some passengers ‘feel’ they should do so.

[coudntthinkofaname]

@Charles – aren’t you being a little bit harsh?

If TFL can install defibrillators at most tube stations, I can’t see why BA shouldn’t be doing the right thing in having them on hand at their lounges (or HAL having them within close reach).

Surely “doing the right thing” is an approach that most companies have bought into through their various “Corporate Responsibility” initiatives….

[Charles-P]

No I don’t think it’s harsh. As a business owner who is very focused on the bottom line each year I find it frustrating to read that people think companies should fund the installation of expensive medical equipment that they have no legal obligation to provide. If this is a legal requirement then I am comfortable with that because a) I know it has been researched, costed and proven to be of benefit to society and all of my competitors will have the same cost however if I am doing it just because some people think its “a good thing” how is that fair or arguably even sensible ? For example why not question BA on why they do not have a nurse on standby 24 hours a day at their expense, or a cardiac doctor, or an operating theater on standby. How far should companies be expected to go in their provision of free medical equipment at the whim of individuals with no medical experience or training ?

[SimonS1]

I wonder if BA has an Ebola Defence Plan.

[BigDog.]

Well Simon, apparently just prior to BA ceasing the connections to Freetown/Liberia a manager issued a letter to the crew informing them stop using disposable gloves during service – which would include clean-up/clear away afterwards as they are not uniform standard.

It would show some degree leadership in BA for a change if that person issued an apology to crew, admitting they got it wrong.

[Author]

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