More than half of UK "not confident enough" to use defibrillator, study shows
That's despite even villages installing them, for life-saving treatment
More than half of people in the UK wouldn't quite know how to help someone suffering a cardiac arrest, according to a new study.
Research by Resuscitation Council UK has found that 61% of people who responded to a survey say they aren't confident enough to use a defibrillator.
The survey was carried out online by Opinion Matters throughout this month, and included responses from 2,000 UK residents aged 16 and over.
Defibrillators can be found across the country including in Essex.
Some locations include Essex University - which have 15 located across their campuses in Colchester, Southend and Loughton.
Other locations in the county can be found in most towns and cities, with even villages installing defibrillators where they can to avoid having to travel further to find one.
Anne Oliver is from Age UK, which provide information and services across the UK. They have defibrillators based in some of their centres.
Anne is based in Lancashire, and says learning to use the equipment wasn't as tricky as she thought.
"They are very simple to use, and the machine tells you exactly what to do at every stage, so you can't go wrong.
"If the heart doesn't need to be restarted, if it doesn't need that charge, the defibrillator won't need that charge, so you can't possibly do anything wrong."
A new campaign that aims to give people the confidence to use a defibrillator has been launched today, by Resuscitation Council UK.
The importance of quick action during a cardiac emergency is highlighted in a new animation, which aims to empower everyone to be a potential lifesaver.
In the event of an emergency, you can find your nearest defibrillator via DefibFinder.uk.