A pub defibrillator was put to good use just hours after it was installed in one of Liverpool's most famous tourist hotspots.
The device at the Grapes in Mathew Street - well known as a favourite drinking spot of The Beatles - has already been used in three emergencies. The first occasion was on the very day it was installed, when someone went into cardiac arrest nearby.
The defibrillator was registered on The Circuit - the national defibrillator network - in December. The Circuit's aim is to map all defibrillators, so that when someone has a cardiac arrest, 999 call handlers can direct bystanders to the nearest registered one while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
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The Grapes' landlady, Karen Strickland, 66, said: "When I registered the pub's defibrillator on The Circuit one afternoon, I could never have believed that it would be used on the very same night. You can't put a price on that.
"My father died of a cardiac arrest, so I want to see more defibrillators installed. As I know all too well, you just never know when someone might have a cardiac arrest, so it's really important that everyone registers their defibrillator on The Circuit at the earliest possible opportunity to help ambulances know where to find them."
Defibrillator owners are being urged to register their devices on The Circuit and help bring the number of mapped defibrillators past the 50,000 mark. This significant milestone would represent half of the estimated 100,000 defibrillators in the UK being registered on The Circuit.
There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, but fewer than one in 10 people survive. Immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival - however public access defibrillators are used in less than one in 10 of cases.
Over 46,000 defibrillators have been added to the database so far, spurring on the latest appeal to defibrillator guardians to pass the 50,000 mark.
It is estimated that tens of thousands of defibrillators remain unknown to ambulance services, meaning emergency services cannot direct bystanders to them in the event of a cardiac arrest.
The BHF, RCUK, St John Ambulance and AACE are urging anyone who looks after defibrillators in places such as offices, communities, shopping centres and leisure centres and in all other in public places, to register them on The Circuit.
The Circuit, which is already live in 13 of the 14 ambulance service areas across the UK and will become nationwide soon, could help to save thousands of lives over the coming years – but it is vital that as many defibrillators as possible are registered on the database for it to work effectively.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, said: "As Karen discovered, a cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time, but quick CPR and defibrillation can double someone's chance of survival. Minutes count and knowing where the nearest defibrillator is could be the difference between life and death, so we want to thank Karen and every defibrillator guardian who has registered their device on The Circuit so far.
"We're making great strides down the path of getting a truly nationwide picture of where defibrillators are located, but now isn't the time to slow down the pace. We're tantalisingly close to a major milestone of 50,000 defibrillators mapped on The Circuit, and we'll need the help of every defibrillator owner in the UK to help us to smash that target.
"If you or someone you know is a defibrillator guardian, then we urge you to register your device. One simple action could help save someone's life."
It’s free to register your defibrillator onto The Circuit, and you only have to do it once. You can also register multiple defibrillators if you are the guardian to more than one. Visit TheCircuit.UK for more information or to register your defibrillator.
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