Call to register defibrillators in Bury St Edmunds

It could help to save lives

Author: Sharon PlummerPublished 25th Oct 2021

There's a call for defibrillators in Bury St Edmunds to be registered on a national database.

MP Jo Churchill is backing the plea for details to be placed on The Circuit.

The British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, warn that the UK’s low survival rate is likely to be in part because public access defibrillators are used in less than one in 10 out of hospital cardiac arrests.

This is often because 999 call handlers aren’t always aware that a defibrillator is available nearby because the ambulance service hasn’t been told about it. If they don’t know it is there, they can’t direct someone at the scene to retrieve it while waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Devices can be registered here.

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