Rural phone box that’s a real lifeline

The traditional red kiosk in Glendaruel, Argyll has a defibrillator machine which tells the user how to give treatment with step-by-step instructions.

The machine analyses the patient to determine if they are having a heart attack and, if required, delivers a controlled electric shock to restore normal heartbeat.

The equipment, paid for by BT, is kept in a high-visibility steel cabinet and can be opened with instructions from the Scottish Ambulance Service by calling 999.

It is the first phone box of its kind in Scotland and one of only five in the UK created under BT’s Adopt A Kiosk scheme.

Local Girl Guide Heather Munro, 16, came up with the idea during a competition held by 1st Glendaruel Guides to find the best use for the phone box. The group had just gained first aid certificates with the British Red Cross.

Heather’s mother, Suzy Munro, a Guide leader and member of Colintraive and Glendaruel Community Council, said: “We have a lot of visitors to the village, who come for the walking.

“We have seen people suffering from chest pain and heart-related symptoms. A defibrillator in the centre of the village will be a real asset and could help save lives in future.”

The phone box was one of four bought by the community council for £1 each under Adopt A Kiosk because they were no longer needed as payphones.

BT’s Mark Johnson said: “Over the years many people have said that their local phone box was a lifeline. Now that everyone has a phone at home or a mobile, that’s no longer true. But kiosks fitted with defibrillator machines are genuine assets to their community and could be real lifesavers in the future.

“The most fantastic thing about the Adopt A Kiosk scheme has been how communities across the country have become involved. Red phone boxes have become a focal point for all sorts of activities of real value to the local community. It’s so gratifying to see our old rarely used boxes given a new lease of life.”

The defibrillator was installed by the charity Community Heartbeat Trust.

Martin Fagan, its national secretary, said: “Phone boxes are ideal locations for emergency medical equipment because they’re often in the centre of a town or village.

“With something as serious as a cardiac arrest, time is of the essence and unfortunately the emergency services can’t always reach country villages to apply defibrillators in the recommended five minutes.”

BT said payphone use has been falling for many years. At its 2002 peak, 92,000 public payphones were in use but BT has cut that number to just 51,500.

The number of calls from payphones has fallen by about 80 per cent in the past five years and 64 per cent of kiosks are said to cost more to maintain than what they bring in.

Last year, no calls were made from about 8 per cent (451) of the 5,373 payphones in Scotland. BT said it costs an average of £800 a year to maintain each phone. The area with the most unused phone boxes in 2010 was Argyll and Bute, with 53, but even Scotland’s largest cities had their share as Glasgow had seven unused kiosks and Edinburgh had eight.