CARDIAC patients will benefit from high-tech equipment thanks to a £25,000 donation to the Great Western Ambulance Service.

The Frenchay Hospital Cardiac Support Group, a fundraising team made up of former patients treated for heart attacks in the hospital's Ward 103, handed the sum to the service allowing it to order 14 new state-of-the-art automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

GWAS's emergency vehicles fleet is now equipped with the machines, which could help shave vital seconds off responses to patients suffering life-threatening heart conditions, and ready to put them to good use.

Ambulance practitioner Tim Hart said: "All our emergency vehicles carry Lifepak 12 defibrillators which are essential pieces of equipment used daily by our clinicians responding to 999 calls.

"These new AEDs from the Frenchay Hospital Cardiac Support Group will be additional items carried on vehicles – seven rapid-response vehicles and seven ambulances."

He added: "For patients suffering immediately life-threatening heart problems, shaving vital seconds off the time before they receive emergency medical treatment can literally be the difference between life and death.

"Having these much smaller, lighter AEDs to hand will help achieve that and – on behalf of our patients – we are extremely grateful to the group for their generous offer to purchase them."

Since the support group was formed in 1994, members have bought more than £300,000 worth of cardiac-related medical appliances to benefit patients in Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

From fundraising concerts and collection days to prize draws or sports events to opening their very own charity shop in Lodge Causeway, Fishponds, the volunteers explored every avenue available to them to collect life-saving funds.

Group chairman Rae Care said: "Our members have all survived serious cardiac problems, so we know the importance of having rapid access to the right treatment – most of us would not still be here without it.

"Talking to the ambulance service, it is clear these AEDs are valuable additional items of equipment that we are pleased to provide."

A patient suffering a life-threatening heart condition may have an irregular heart rhythm – fibrillation – that is often a precursor to going into full cardiac arrest.

A defibrillator delivers an electric shock to the patient that momentarily stops the heart, giving it the opportunity to re-start in a regular rhythm. The high-tech equipment detects if the patient’s condition is suitable for defibrillation and, if not, will not allow the shock to be delivered.