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The number of Londoners who try to save the life of a stranger they witness having a cardiac arrest is at record levels, belying the capital’s reputation for a “walk-on-by” culture.

A total of 2,431 patients who collapsed in public received CPR chest compressions from a “good Samaritan”, London Ambulance Service revealed today.

In 107 emergencies, passers-by also tried to use a defibrillator to restart the heart. Of the 79 patients whose heart was in a “shockable rhythm”, 51 were resuscitated and were alive on arrival at hospital, and 39 survived and subsequently left hospital alive.

LAS medics today praised the public’s willingness to intervene, saying it showed the benefits of teaching life-saving skills and making defibrillators available in public places. There are now 4,972 of the automated devices in the capital.

Gurkamal Francis, assistant head of clinical audit and research at LAS, said the number of cardiac arrests witnessed by the public and number of CPR attempts - up 102 on last year - were at the highest rates in 10 years.

She said: “It’s a fantastic achievement from members of the public in terms of recognising cardiac arrest and then intervening.”

Former England football manager Glenn Hoddle was saved after suffering a cardiac arrest after a suspected heart attack at the BT Sport studio in Stratford last month.

TV worker Simon Daniels, who had been trained in CPR as a special constable, used a defibrillator to start his heart. Hoddle, 61, was released from St Bartholomew’s hospital last week following surgery and is recovering at home.

The annual LAS cardiac arrest report reveals that crews were sent to 10,654 patients, 224 more than the previous year, and attempted to resuscitate 4,389, 59 fewer.

Those not resuscitated were already dead, were subject to a “do not resuscitate” order or their death was expected.

A total of 1,428 were resuscitated and were alive on arrival at hospital, up 121 or 3.1 per cent on the previous year and the highest on record.

The number who survived to discharge was 402, 13 fewer than the previous year. This is an overall survival rate of 9.4 per cent, down 0.1 points on last year.

However of the sub-group of 571 patients whose cardiac arrest was caused by heart problems - rather than traumatic injury - and whose heart was in a “shockable rhythm, 182 survived, a survival rate of 31.9 per cent