A Devon grandmother who has lost three family members unexpectedly, is awaiting the Government’s latest ideas on how to tackle cases of sudden death. 

Kathy Moyle, of East Budleigh, near Exmouth, believes her grandson Matthew and her daughters Lynn and Pauline all died from a rare genetic syndrome which causes sudden cardiac death. 

Tests showed that Mrs Moyle, 61, also has the condition and she has since been fitted with a special machine to prevent her heart from stopping. 

Later this week, healthy secretary John Reid is due to unveil national guidelines about sudden cardiac deaths and disorders of the regular, rhythmic beating of the heart, known as arrhythmias. 

It comes after 10 years of lobbying by the Cardiac Risk in the Young group (CRY), the British Cardiac Society, and more recently, the new Arrhythmia Alliance. 

It coincides with National Arrhythmia awareness week, which started yesterday. 

About 700,000 people across the UK are thought to have heart rhythm disorders.  However, the country lags behind Europe and America, where doctors use a far higher number of medical implants for patients whose hearts beat too slowly, too fast, or abnormally. 

Mrs Moyle was found to have a potentially fatal hereditary disorder that can occur without warning in otherwise healthy people.  She has campaigned for routine testing to be introduced for young people in schools. 

She said: “I wouldn’t want families to go through what I have gone through, losing three people. 

“By setting up guidelines we will get a truer picture of how many people are involved with this and we hopefully won’t be having these tragic deaths.” 

Mrs Moyle’s grandson, Matthew, died in 2001, aged 17.  A year later his mother, Mrs Moyle’s daughter Lynn, 38, died.  Her other daughter Pauline also died suddenly in 1978, aged 16.  Other members of her family are undergoing tests. 

She added: “I do have a worry that it (the policy) won’t go anywhere near what we want.” 

Alison Cox, from CRY, said: “We have put in a tremendous amount of work.  I live in hope the guidelines will be good news.”