Advertisement
BUY A WINTER SUPPORT KIT & CHANGE A VENDOR’S LIFE
BUY NOW
Advertorial from British Heart Foundation

Why quick access to a defibrillator is the difference between life and death

Are you a defibrillator guardian? Save a life today with The Circuit

Quick access to a defibrillator could be the difference between life and death; this is something that Ripon Danis experienced himself during a journey home.

Walking out of Highbury & Islington London Underground station, Danis suffered a cardiac arrest at the age of just 37.

Fortunately for him, a defibrillator was nearby, and two bystanders were able to help before it was too late.

“Your chance of survival boils down to CPR and defibrillator access. One jolt gave me a chance,” he says.

Most people believe that the act of buying a defibrillator alone is enough to save lives.

But just owning one is not enough. Fewer than one in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK. Lack of visibility of defibrillators in an emergency is a contributing factor.

Advertisement
Advertisement

To improve these survival rates, BHF has developed The Circuit – the national defibrillator database.

The Circuit aims to register and map the UK’s estimated 100,000 defibrillators so that ambulance services can direct bystanders to their nearest one in an emergency and increase a person’s chances of survival.

Your chance of survival boils down to CPR and defibrillator access

“Having The Circuit to know where the closest defibrillator is, that’s going to be the difference between life and death, it’s as simple as that,” adds Ripon, who knows how vital it is to have a device nearby.

Defibrillators that are not registered on The Circuit will not be visible to ambulance services, which means they are less likely to be located and used in the ultimate medical emergency.

It’s estimated that tens of thousands of defibrillators are not registered on The Circuit, so ambulance services are unable to direct bystanders towards them.

Currently less than five per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) actually receive bystander defibrillation – meaning chances to save lives are being missed every day.

As Ripon says, a defibrillator that’s registered on The Circuit and is visible to emergency services can make the difference between life and death.

So, giving your defibrillator its best chance of saving a life doesn’t mean just installing it on your wall. There is one final, simple step that can more than double someone’s chance of survival.

Register your defibrillator today.

If you own or look after a defibrillator, register it now on The Circuit.

It’s time to put your defibrillator on the map and give those who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests the best fighting chance.

To register or find out more, visit thecircuit.uk

British Heart Foundation advertorial partner logos
Advertisement

Change a vendor's life this Christmas and beyond

Buy a Big Issue Winter Support Kit for £34.99, you’ll receive four copies of the magazine and vendors could receive immediate tools for survival plus access to vital training and employment pathways to escape poverty for good.

Recommended for you

Read All
'This Victorian-era law isn't fit for purpose': Is abortion finally going to be decriminalised?
Abortion

'This Victorian-era law isn't fit for purpose': Is abortion finally going to be decriminalised?

I found out I had HIV when I was pregnant. But in 2023, stigma is more harmful than the virus
World AIDS Day

I found out I had HIV when I was pregnant. But in 2023, stigma is more harmful than the virus

This orchestra is giving dementia sufferers something to sing about: 'Music changes lives'
Dementia

This orchestra is giving dementia sufferers something to sing about: 'Music changes lives'

Spain gives menstrual leave to workers with 'disabling periods' – why can't UK?
Menstrual health

Spain gives menstrual leave to workers with 'disabling periods' – why can't UK?

Most Popular

Read All
Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits
1.

Renters pay their landlords' buy-to-let mortgages, so they should get a share of the profits

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal
2.

Exclusive: Disabled people are 'set up to fail' by the DWP in target-driven disability benefits system, whistleblowers reveal

Here's when people will get the cost of living payment in 2024
3.

Here's when people will get the cost of living payment in 2024

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue
4.

Citroën Ami: the tiny electric vehicle driving change with The Big Issue