Millions in England and Wales live too far from defibrillators, study finds
6 reported
More than 16 million people in England and Wales risk dying from a cardiac arrest because they live farther than a 1km round trip from the nearest 24/7 defibrillator, according to exclusive research by the Heart Restart campaign. The analysis of publicly available defibrillators found that 35 million people in England and Wales do not live within the recommended three- to five-minute brisk walk of a defibrillator. Of those, about half live more than a 1km round trip from a 24/7 accessible device. The British Heart Foundation has announced a community defibrillator campaign, inviting local areas to apply for 400 24/7 community defibrillators, targeting areas with the biggest "defibrillator deserts." The research also uncovered significant inequalities in access, with some areas like Harlow having more than 70% of people at least 10 minutes away from a 24/7 defibrillator, while every resident in the City of London is within the recommended reach.
What’s reported
More than 16 million people in England and Wales live farther than a 1km round trip from the nearest 24/7 defibrillator.
35 million people in England and Wales do not live within the recommended three- to five-minute brisk walk of a defibrillator.
There are more than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the UK, with fewer than one in 10 people surviving.
Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance of survival.
In 264 out of 318 local authority areas studied, more than half of residents were not within the recommended reach of a defibrillator.
The British Heart Foundation is inviting local areas to apply for 400 24/7 community defibrillators.
Key figures
Sam Kennard, community defibrillator manager at the British Heart Foundation
Adam Benson Clarke, clinical director at Resuscitation Council UK
David Stockdale, chief executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association
Luke Taylor, Liberal Democrat MP for Sutton and Cheam
Sources: The Guardian
