GoodSAM App

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie) (17:41): Sometimes being in the right place at the right time, with the right technology, can literally mean the difference between life and death. In New South Wales, however, we no longer have to rely entirely on luck to be in the right place at the right time. Technology now guides caring people to the right place when they are needed. In Lake Macquarie that technology has recently helped save the life of one of my constituents. Hotel Wangi is a local institution. Its lunchtime specials are a crowd favourite and the venue has a following from far and wide. Recently, while enjoying lunch with friends, local identity Geoff Willbrands suffered a catastrophic heart attack at the hotel.

Wangi Wangi is a small community in a peninsula suburb on Lake Macquarie. While it is an absolutely beautiful place to live, it is some 13 minutes by road from the nearest ambulance station, which is too long to wait in the case of a catastrophic heart attack. Without immediate treatment, death is almost certain. For every minute that a person experiencing cardiac arrest does not get chest compressions, their chances of survival fall by 7 per cent to 10 per cent. Thankfully for Geoff, his friends Jayson Field and Jed Fatchers—both trained in first aid—were on hand. After Geoff stopped breathing and collapsed, Jayson began chest compressions while Jed retrieved the hotel's automated external defibrillator [AED] and set to work. Luckily, the hotel had purchased a new AED just four months prior. Another hotel patron, Adam Rothwell, rang 000 and stayed on the phone during the crisis until paramedics arrived.

At the time of the 000 call, a notification was triggered through the GoodSAM app. To be honest, until I was told this story, I had never even heard of the GoodSAM app. But as Geoff's story demonstrates, it is a truly wonderful initiative. The app is integrated with the NSW Ambulance 000 dispatch system and connects GoodSAM-registered responders who are within 500 metres, or a kilometre in regional areas, with people who are having or have had a cardiac arrest. In this case, an alert was triggered to a local GoodSAM responder—a nurse. That good citizen arrived on the scene within five minutes and immediately began to administer mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. On the fourth life-saving breath, Geoff began breathing on his own, regained consciousness and tried to get up.

It took paramedics 13 minutes to arrive at the hotel — and that is no criticism of our wonderful paramedics. But without the lifesaving actions of Jayson, Jed and the GoodSAM responder, paramedics said that Geoff would have had only a 2 per cent chance of survival. With no public hospital nearby and a shortage of public health facilities in the Lake Macquarie electorate, that type of technology saves lives. While we should not have to rely on volunteers for emergency response, of course, it is an unfortunate reality that emergency responders cannot always be there within minutes. Particularly in the case of a cardiac arrest, where every minute counts.

GoodSAM responders only need to be over 18 and willing and able to perform CPR. Registered responders can set the function to "on duty" when they are available to respond and "off duty" when they are not. When 000 receives a call indicating a patient is in cardiac arrest, it will send an alert to three of the closest responders. Each year more than 9,000 people in New South Wales experience cardiac arrest outside of hospital, and the GoodSAM app is a wonderful initiative to give each one of those people a better chance of survival.

I acknowledge, Jayson, Jed and our local GoodSAM responders for their quick actions and willingness to come to Geoff's aid. I also congratulate NSW Ambulance on its integration and operation of the GoodSAM app and encourage all members to consider learning CPR and registering as a GoodSAM responder. People do not have to be health professionals to register and lend a hand; they just need to be ready, willing and able. As the Australian Resuscitation Council says, "Any attempt at resuscitation is better than no attempt at all". I hope the amazing story of Geoff's second life inspires many more to ready themselves to give life-saving assistance.

Ms LIESL TESCH (Gosford) (17:45): I thank the member for Lake Macquarie for sharing Geoff's amazing story and for thanking all the people who were involved in saving Geoff's life. He has been on an emotional adventure. I also thank the 6,500 GoodSAM volunteers across New South Wales. It is a global movement, and I commend those people who have the skills to step in. May we see that fantastic program grow across our communities.