Lack of defibrillators in Britain putting lives at risk, say researchers

A defibrillator in Beverley, east Yorkshire. No training is required to use the devices on people in cardiac arrest. Photograph: Gary Calton/The Observer

Lives are needlessly being put at risk in Britain because defibrillators are located too far away from where they are needed, experts have said.

The lifesaving devices give a high-energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. With nearly three in 10 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening at weekends and four in 10 between 6pm and 6am, quick access to a defibrillator at any time is crucial.