Dr. Ian Schofield, a local GP at Alpine House Surgery in Mountsorrel, recently wrote an article in the UHL GP Newsletter, titled Raising awareness of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome. You can read the article below, we thank Dr. Ian Schofield and Alpine House Surgery for their support.

It is for this reason that Alpine House Surgery wholeheartedly endorses the work being done by the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust to make something positive come from their own family's loss of a dearly loved son.

Raising awareness for the potential of sudden cardiac death in teenagers and young adults and the subsequent support of their families should it occur is recommended by NICE guidelines and whilst this is important amongst health care professionals, it is equally, perhaps more so, vital amongst the general population. The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust aims to support the screening of young adults in Leicestershire, particularly those that engage in active sport and will be seeking to provide more defibrillators into local community venues.

Importantly they intend to implement a training programme in emergency life saving skills, amongst the young people of Leicester and Leicestershire and as the GP of a family touched by the loss of their son, Alpine House Surgery fully supports the activities of the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust and would recommend that other surgeries in the city and county support their activities by helping to advertise them on their surgery premises in the months to come.

Martin Johnson is the Trust's patron and it has received publicity in the local media and House of Commons. As health care professionals it is vital that we rise to the challenge of this important area of mortality (12 young people a week) by promoting awareness in both the general population and our own clinical practice. The presentation of teenagers and young adults with blackouts, palpitations, prolonged giddiness or breathlessness remains both a diagnostic challenge, and opportunity for screening.

Dr Ian Schofield

Alpine House Surgery, Mountsorrel