Scottish Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest data linkage project: 2018-2019 results

Preface

This is the 4th report detailing outcomes after Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) in Scotland and includes data from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019. We join with countries all over the world in attempting to reduce the loss of life after sudden cardiac arrest in our communities and recognise with the international community that the key to success is optimising the whole system of care - this requires partnership. This document contains positive findings indicating that we are making progress. For the first time we have measured overall survival after OHCA at over 10%. We are grateful to all of the organisations who are helping deliver Scotland’s Strategy for OHCA and it is to their credit that our strategy is widely recognised as an excellent example of partnership working.

We are pleased to report significant improvements in bystander CPR rates and survival across the country. We are also mindful that improvement has been greatest in our more affluent communities and this requires a clearer understanding of underlying causes and targeted action. These figures represent the situation at the end of the penultimate year of our strategy as we take stock of where we started and make plans together to improve survival even further. We look forward to reaching for higher hanging fruit in the next phase.

The ‘Augmented Chain of Survival’ required to save lives after OHCA¹.

Thanks

As always, this work represents the dedication and sustained effort of a range of individuals. We would like to publicly acknowledge the contribution of the following people in enabling the production of this report, whilst mindful of the help of many others who are not listed here.

Marion Morris, Rebecca-Jane MacPherson and John Wilson
Clinical Priorities, Directorate for Healthcare Quality and Improvement, DG Health and Social Care, Scottish Government

Dionysis Vragkos, Sian Nowell and Kathy McGregor
Information Services Division and electronic Data Research and Innovation Service, National Services Scotland

Katy Barclay and Derek Milligan
Scottish Ambulance Service, Management Information Team

Nynke Halbesma
Usher Institute, University of Edinburgh

Authors

Gareth Clegg, Chair of the OHCA Strategy Delivery Group, Associate Medical Director, Scottish Ambulance Service, Hon Consultant in Emergency Medicine, Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh, Resuscitation Research Group Lead, University of Edinburgh

Guy McGivern, Statistician, Health & Social Care Analysis Division, Directorate for Population Health, Scottish Government

David Bywater, Consultant Paramedic, Clinical Lead for OHCA, Scottish Ambulance Service

Steven Short, Clinical Effectiveness Lead for OHCA, Scottish Ambulance Service

Andrew Kent, Clinical Outcomes Analyst, Scottish Ambulance Service