Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst, Member of Parliament for Solihull West and Shirley and former Major Trauma surgeon, has successfully completed a 20-mile walk along the Solihull Way, raising over £1,500 to fund defibrillators and bleed control kits for the local community. The initiative, in partnership with The Daniel Baird Foundation, will see lifesaving equipment installed at key locations across the constituency, ensuring residents have access to vital tools in moments of critical need.
Speaking after completing the challenge, Dr Shastri-Hurst said:
This campaign was about taking practical steps to strengthen community safety. We cannot prevent every tragedy, but we can ensure that when emergencies happen, people have the tools they need to respond. These devices will help save lives, and that is something we can all take pride in.
Every year, around 100,000 people in the UK die from sudden cardiac arrest, many of them in community settings. When a defibrillator is used within the first three minutes, survival rates can rise to as high as 70%. The West Midlands also continues to face one of the highest rates of knife crime in England and Wales, making the availability of bleed control kits ever more urgent.
This latest effort reflects Dr Shastri-Hurst’s broader commitment to public safety. He has previously succeeded in improving access to the weapons surrender bin at Solihull Station, and has advocated for the use of innovative educational programmes, including the use of virtual reality, to help steer young people away from violence and towards positive futures.
“I have seen, first-hand, the devastating consequences of violent crime,” Dr Shastri-Hurst continued. “But I have also seen the extraordinary impact that swift intervention and community action can have. This campaign is a testament to what we can achieve when we come together, determined to protect and support one another.”
Dr Lynne Baird MBE, The Daniel Baird Foundation, said:
“We are incredibly grateful to Dr Neil Shastri-Hurst for his outstanding commitment to saving lives across Solihull. His fundraising initiative to provide more defibrillators and bleed control kits will make a real and lasting difference to the safety of the community. At The Daniel Baird Foundation, we commend his dedication to ensuring that life-saving equipment is more readily available when every second counts.”
The equipment funded through the campaign will be deployed in the coming weeks, further strengthening emergency preparedness in Solihull West & Shirley.
