Defibrillators - Restart a Heart
The availability of defibrillators can help to save lives.
A defibrillator is a device used to give an electric shock to help restart a patient’s heart when they are in cardiac arrest. When someone suffers a cardiac arrest the heart stops and blood is no longer being pumped around their body. The longer they go without emergency life-support, the harder it is to restart their heart. This is where you and your community, organisation or business could make a difference.
If there were more public access defibrillators, more people could get a life-saving shock as quickly as possible, ahead of an ambulance, which would assist in giving them the best possible chance of survival.
More than 3,600 people are resuscitated by ambulance staff every year in the South West because they suffer a pre-hospital cardiac arrest. For every minute that passes once in cardiac arrest, a person loses a further 10% chance of survival, and with this dramatic loss in chance of survival, there is a need of a defibrillator every 4-5 minutes walk. Without doubt this availability would improve cardiac arrest survival rates throughout the South West.
Automatic or semi-automatic defibrillators are easy and safe to use by anyone with little or no training. The device talks and displays what you need to do, with many devices also showing pictures.
Don't delay, purchase a defibrillator and register today as every second counts to Restart a Heart.
If you need any assistance, please get in touch with us at defibrillators@swast.nhs.uk or 0300 369 0494
Purchasing and Registering your own Defibrillator
Should you wish to purchase your own defibrillator, you would be responsible for the purchasing and your own training in its use. You may decide to apply for funding for a defibrillator through the British Heart Foundation or alternatively we could put you in touch with our defibrillator suppliers for a competitive price.
Once you have purchased your defibrillator you will need to register your defibrillator on The Circuit.
What is The Circuit?
The Circuit - The National Defibrillator Network, is a national database supported by the British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance, The Resuscitation Council UK and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. The Circuit will link a UK wide network of defibrillators to every ambulance service in the country and the public in a bid to help save more lives from an out of hospital Cardiac Arrest.
The Circuit will help you look after and maintain your defibrillator. You’ll receive regular reminders to check your defibrillator is ready to use and the pads are in date, be able to connect with other guardians in your area should you wish and even organise someone to check it if you’re likely to be away on holiday.
Please register your defibrillator on The Circuit to ensure that we can direct members of the public to your lifesaving defibrillator in an emergency. It will only take you a few minutes to do this.
Please click here to register today!
If you need any assistance, please call The Circuit team on 0300 330 5482.
SWASFT Defibrillator Reports
If you are not already reporting via The Circuit, please continue to submit your online report here. Please do so until you are contacted by a SWASFT representative.
Defibrillator Accreditation Scheme