New Funding Available for Defibrillators
A new £1 million fund has been announced by the Department of Health and Social Care to increase the number of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in communities most in need.
The funding is expected to provide an estimated 1,000 new defibrillators in community spaces across England, potentially doubling the number of defibrillators through successful bidder matching.
Bid for Funding
Organisations will be invited to bid for the funding in areas where they are most needed. These areas include schools, places with high footfall, areas which attract vulnerable people, rural areas, or due to the nature of activity at the site. The aim is to ensure that defibrillators are evenly spread throughout communities and easily accessible in case of unexpected cardiac arrest.
Potential Locations
Other examples of potential locations for defibrillators include town halls, community centres, local shops, post offices, and local parks. The independent partner managing the fund will work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure that new defibrillators in the community are accessible on a 24/7 basis and are equally accessible across England to all social groups.
British Heart Foundation Comment
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the move to improve access to defibrillators in communities across England, stating that for every minute without CPR or defibrillation, a person’s chances of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest decreases by 10%. NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said that it is essential that people are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and equipment they need to be able to save a life, and that access to a defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death for a person who is going into cardiac arrest.
Funding
The funding is part of the government’s commitment to support the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease and improving access to emergency treatment across England. Organisations and individuals that acquire defibrillators or already own them are urged to register them on The Circuit, a national defibrillator database for ambulance services to quickly identify the nearest device.
The Circuit
The Circuit was set up by the NHS, British Heart Foundation (BHF), the Resuscitation Council UK, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. State-funded schools in England that do not already have a defibrillator will receive one from the Department for Education over the course of this and next year, with the aim that every school will have a life-saving defibrillator by 2022 to 2023.
Secretary of State
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, said that the aim of the funding was to ensure that life-saving defibrillators are more accessible, with the new £1 million fund expected to place around 1,000 new defibrillators in communities across England. Minister of State for Care, Helen Whately, said that the fund would help to ensure that there are more of these incredible devices in our communities and that more lives are saved.
Defibrillators in Schools
The Government currently encourages schools to have an automated external defibrillator (AED) on their premises as part of their first aid equipment. AEDs are currently available for schools and other education providers in the UK to purchase through the NHS Supply Chain at a reduced cost. These arrangements are available to all UK schools, including academies and independent schools, sixth-form colleges, FE institutions and early years settings (including holiday and out-of-school providers).
The Government has produced guidance for schools on buying, installing and using an AED, which can be viewed here.