Defibrillation saves life. Our mission is to improve everyone's chances of survival in the UK
We believe everyone has a right to the best chance of survival. The information below should help you make an informed decision on the purchase of an AED.
We know the scientific evidence to support early defibrillation is overwhelming. The single most determining factor of survival being the delay from collapse to delivery of the first shock. The chances of successful defibrillation declines at a rate of 10% with each minute passed. (no CPR attempted)
With this in mind we are encouraging our clients to consider the provision of an AED in their workplace (where necessary)
The responsibility for deciding whether to provide a defibrillator and train staff in its use lies with an individual organisation, but how can you make a decision unless you are aware?
Important factors to consider when assessing the risk of cardiac arrest will include the number of people using a facility and the risk of cardiac arrest occurring at the site. Current international resuscitation guidelines advise that evidence supports the establishment of public access defibrillation programmes (with the installation of an AED) when:
- The frequency of cardiac arrest is such, that there is a reasonable probability of the use of an AED at least once in two years.
- The time from call out of the conventional ambulance service to delivery of a shock cannot reliably be achieved within 5 minutes (For practical purposes, this means almost the entire UK).
- The time from collapse of a victim until the on-site AED can be brought is less than 5 minutes.
Current experience, that includes data from the UK, suggests that in certain public places there is a higher risk of cardiac arrest than in others. Transport facilities, particularly airports and railway stations, gyms, leisure centre's, and other venues where exercise is undertaken are high-risk sites. Those attending cardiac rehabilitation programmes are a particularly high-risk group.
