£1m fund for 1,000 new lifesaving defibrillators in…

£1m fund for 1,000 new lifesaving defibrillators in communities announced

A new £1m fund to boost the number of lifesaving defibrillators based in communities by 1,000 was announced today by the Government.

The Department of Health and Social Care said it would invest the funding through an independent partner in the new year who will manage grant applications from bidding organisations.

Applicants will be asked to demonstrate that defibrillators will be placed in areas where they are most needed, like busy public places, areas with vulnerable people, isolated more rural communities or due to the nature of an activity at a site. Examples, said the Government, could include town halls, community centres, local shops, post offices and parks.

Making the announcement the heath secretary, Steve Barclay, said he wanted to ensure defibrillators were evenly spread throughout communities and easily accessible in the event of someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.

"I've heard extraordinary stories of ordinary people being kept alive thanks to the swift use of a defibrillator on the football pitch, at the gym or in their local community," he said.

"We must make sure these life-saving devices are more accessible, with our new £1 million fund expected to place around 1,000 new defibrillators in communities across England."

The Government said the fund would mean the public would have faster access to life-saving defibrillators. Bidding organisations will be asked to match the funding they receive fully or partially, potentially doubling the number of new defibrillators created by the fund.

The fund was announced today (Staffordshire Newsletter)

Minister of State for Care, Helen Whately, said: "We want people to have the best chance of survival from cardiac arrest, and public access to defibrillators is critical to achieving this. This fund will help us make sure there are more of these incredible devices in our communities and we save more lives."

The announcement has been welcomed by doctors and charities.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: "For every minute without CPR or defibrillation, a person's chances of survival from an out of hospital cardiac arrest decreases by ten per cent, so we welcome this move to improve access to defibrillators in communities across England.

"We urge anyone who looks after a defibrillator in their community, workplace or sports club to ensure that it is registered on The Circuit so that the ambulance services will know where it is in an emergency."

NHS national medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: "It is essential that people are equipped with the knowledge, skills and equipment they need to be able to save a life, and access to a defibrillator, along with initial recognition of symptoms, early CPR and post resuscitation care can mean the difference between life and death for a person who is going into cardiac arrest.

"The NHS is proud to be working with local community partners to champion the importance of learning how to recognise and respond to out-of-hospital cardiac arrest – including working with St John Ambulance to recruit a national network of community advocates to encourage more people to learn CPR and lifesaving skills."

Meanwhile the Government repeated a pledge that state-funded schools in England that do not already have a defibrillator will receive one from the Department for Education over the course of next year.