YOUR front page article "On The Heartbeat" on April 4 gives me cause for serious concern.

As I understand it, volunteers with very basic training in the application of a defibrillator, are being asked to attend so-called "heart attack" victims.

Many worrying questions are raised such as: how do these persons know that someone has, in fact, suffered a genuine heart attack? How will he/she be able to assess and have an understanding as to what the patient is suffering from. How will he/she be able to assess whether defibrillation is the appropriate treatment. Who is going to monitor the situation and progress the treatment, and what is the evidence that this service will actually save lives to name but a few?

We did have a superb flying doctor service operated by highly skilled medical teams which has now sadly been disbanded because of failure of the powers-that-be to avail them of their expertise.

Is it intended that these Heartstart volunteers be asked to attend scenes of serious accidents as a replacement to the flying doctors?

My suspicions are that the introduction of this service will be more useful to the ambulance service in producing figures to demonstrate improved response times than for real benefit to the patient and it is possible that in certain circumstances their actions may produce more harm than good.

H. EELES

(Retired consultant

pathologist)

Fairfield Lane

Wolverley