Communities across the UK are being urged to apply for a free lifesaving defibrillator from the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
This year, there are over 320 defibrillator packages available to communities as the charity relaunches its Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.
The heart charity has said areas with greatest need will be prioritised – deprived areas with limited access to defibrillators.
The programme successfully placed 300 defibrillators across the UK in its first year.
There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the UK, but less than one in ten people survive. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation after a cardiac arrest can reduce the chance of survival by up to 10 per cent. Early CPR and defibrillation is vital to give someone the best chance of survival.
The BHF wants everyone to have the best chance of survival from a cardiac arrest, no matter where they live.
There are over 96,000 defibrillators registered on The Circuit: the national defibrillator network, but they are not evenly distributed. Data from The Circuit has shown that deprived communities need better support to help improve response times to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The charity fears that gaps in the map of defibrillators are putting lives at risk.
That’s why the BHF hope the programme will help reduce these defibrillator gaps and improve survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
Local areas awarded one of these defibrillators will be provided with a defibrillator and cabinet, and installation costs will be covered where required. Communities awarded a defibrillator can order future replacement parts free of charge when they expire or are used in a rescue.
The charity will ensure that each defibrillator will also be registered on The Circuit: the national defibrillator network, so ambulance services can direct bystanders to the nearest available defibrillator in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said:
“Every defibrillator has the power to save a life – that’s why I’m thrilled that we’re able to fully fund over 320 of these lifesaving devices for the areas that need it most.
“When someone has a cardiac arrest, every second counts – early access to a defibrillator is vital to give someone the best chance of survival.
“Although we have made progress, there are still too many communities that lack quick and easy access to a defibrillator. With the reopening of this fund, more communities will now have access to a defibrillator that can save lives”
The BHF has a long history of funding public access defibrillators for communities: the heart charity’s Nation of Lifesavers scheme has helped install nearly 3,500 devices in the UK since 2014.
(Image: British Heart Foundation).
