Are you responsible for a defibrillator?
If so, you could help to save lives by registering it on a new national database.
Local MP Fiona Bruce is joining charities and health organisations to ask all defibrillator guardians and organisations in the Congleton constituency to register their devices on ‘The Circuit: The national defibrillator network’.
Currently fewer than one in ten people survive the 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests that occur every year in the UK.
Every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation reduces the chances of survival by up to 10 per cent, while immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.
The British Heart Foundation (BHF), Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK), St John Ambulance (SJA) and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) have warned that the UK’s low survival rate is likely because public access defibrillators are used in fewer than one in 10 out of hospital cardiac arrests.
This is often because 999 handers only know if there is a nearby defibrillator if it has been registered with the ambulance services.
Consequently, they often cannot direct someone at the scene to retrieve it while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.
To help save more lives, Fiona Bruce MP has joined the BHF, RCUK, SJA and AACE in urging people who look after defibrillators across the Congleton constituency - in places such as offices, communities, shopping centres and leisure centres, as well as in public places - to register them on The Circuit.
It is estimated that there are tens of thousands of defibrillators which are still to be registered on the new system,
Guardians can register their device by visiting https://www.thecircuit.uk/