Pensioner suffers cardiac arrest in Waitrose car park

AN elderly woman was taken to hospital in a critical condition after going into cardiac arrest in a supermarket car park.

The Essex Air Ambulance was scrambled into action yesterday afternoon (Wednesday, September 8) after the 88-year-old pensioner collapsed at Waitrose in Saffron Walden.

A doctor from the nearby Gold Street surgery was the first on the scene just after 5pm and along with emergency care practitioner Sharon Kemp was able to restart the stricken woman’s heart.

Critical care aircrew paramedic Laurie Phillipson said: “The patient was given advanced life support and treatment, including drug therapy, defibrillation and a pre-hospital anaesthetic to optimise her breathing.

“She was then taken by land ambulance to Addenbrookes Hospital, escorted by the helicopter medical crew.”