Staff at a Parkwood Leisure facility - Spiceball Leisure Centre, in Oxfordshire, received outstanding feedback from the NHS after providing incredible Basic Life Support (BLS) to a gentleman who had collapsed and suffered a cardiac arrest in their reception area. Their skills and the quality of their actions undoubtedly saved his life.

Adam Crosby, Head of Aftercare for Thames Valley Air Ambulance, said: “On Tuesday 14 July at 14:04, a 999 call was made from Spiceball Leisure Centre for an adult male in cardiac arrest. Our clinical team attended by helicopter. We arrived to find a calm and well-managed scene. We learnt that the patient had received five shocks from the on-site defibrillator and immediate, good quality CPR.

“Unbeknown to the Spiceball team, the original call remained open and active, and our dispatch desk could hear everything that was going on. I cannot emphasise how immensely impressed we were. They were well-drilled, they were well-led by Graham Bleach, Centre Manager and, they were calm. They stuck to the protocol taught to them, and the scene management was excellent. By the time our team got to the patient, he was awake and communicating and recovering so well he needed minimal support, and we escorted him to the hospital. He was, quite literally, brought back from the dead, and the Spiceball team saved his life.”

RLSS UK’s CEO Robert Gofton visited Spiceball Leisure Centre in Banbury to proudly present esteemed Certificates of Meritorious Action and Certificates of Recognition to the members of staff whose actions were critical that day. He added: “We could not be prouder of how Graham and his team reacted. They are all NPLQ trained, which proves our qualifications work. I was privileged to meet the team involved and individually present them with our esteemed Certificate of Meritorious Action and Certificate of Recognition for their contribution to this lifesaving rescue. Providing communities with everyday heroes who have the skills to save lives is at the heart of RLSS UK.”

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