British Heart Foundation highlights importance of community defibrillators in Lincolnshire

A life-saving network of more than 2,000 defibrillators is playing a vital role in protecting our county, according to a charity.

As the British Heart Foundation’s Heart Month draws to a close, the charity has highlighted the role played by community defibrillators and The Circuit — a national defibrillator network for a partnership that includes the NHS, Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, the Resuscitation Council UK and St John Ambulance.

In Lincolnshire, there are 2,089 defibrillators registered across the county through the scheme. Of these, 22.8% (477) are registered to big organisations and 77.2% (1,612) are registered to single guardians such as parish councils, community groups and sports clubs.

Figures from the charity also show that 33% of residents in Lincolnshire suffer from obesity, 14% of inhabitants are smokers and 36% of adults do not meet the physical activity recommendations – meaning the risks are high for a large segment of the county’s population. In fact, heart and circulatory diseases cause 290 deaths per month in the county.

“Community defibrillator provision is an essential link in the chain of survival when cardiac arrest strikes,” said Helen Tennant, the operations manager for The Circuit at the British Heart Foundation, who emphasised that training was available and the upkeep of the machines was reasonably straightforward.

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“Communities should be CPR and defibrillator aware so they can respond to a cardiac emergency in the vital minutes before the ambulance service can respond.

“An immediate 999 call, effective CPR and early defibrillation save lives.

“Looking after their defibrillator(s) is quite straightforward for guardians.

“Apart from checking and recording the defibrillator status on The Circuit, the only maintenance required is replacing the battery and electrode pads in line with the manufacturer’s guidance (usually every three to five years depending on the make/model).

“Of course, if the defibrillator has been used in an emergency, the pads need to be replaced afterwards.

“The defibrillator checks itself and has an easy-to-read display that lets you know it's ready to be used in an emergency.”

With pad replacement costs a concern for some guardians of defibrillators, Helen said that some charities do potentially provide funding.

“The provision of public access defibrillators involves a wide range of individuals, groups and organisations.

“The British Heart Foundation is one of the few charities that provides funding for defibrillators and defibrillators but like all charities, we have limited budgets and we try to support as many communities as possible.”

A person who is in cardiac arrest has a reduced rate of survival of 10% with every minute that passes without assistance — the use of a defibrillator is crucial in improving the odds for a victim in need.

Immediate initiation of CPR can double or quadruple survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.

Defibrillation within three to five minutes of collapse can produce survival rates up to 50–70% according to figures released by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

There are 3,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the East Midlands and only one in 15 people will survive the ordeal.

The Circuit allows individuals and organisations to register their defibrillators so the 14 ambulance services across the nation can see where they are located, and if the machines are ready to be used in an emergency. 999 operators can also direct people to their nearest defibrillator in the event of a cardiac arrest.

The Circuit’s system synchronises every 60 seconds with every ambulance service to ensure that they get the most up-to-date data available in their quest to save lives.

Emails are sent that remind guardians to check their defibrillator regularly and to inform them when the defibrillator’s pads are due to expire.

Guardians are notified if their defibrillator has been brought to the scene of an emergency so that they can check it and ensure it is ready for use again.

They are also reminded by the circuit to keep their records updated.

“Early CPR and defibrillation are proven to save lives,” said Helen Tennant, the operations manager for The Circuit at the British Heart Foundation.

“Bystanders who start CPR and access a community defibrillator give a person the best possible chance of surviving, 999 must be rung as soon as possible.

“Ideally, defibrillators should be placed where they can be easily accessed in an emergency.

“Unlocked cabinets on the exterior of buildings help ensure they are available for the maximum amount of time and there is no delay in accessing a defibrillator when it’s needed to help save a life.

“The rate of theft or vandalism of defibrillators reported on The Circuit is very low and the risk of either does not appear to be higher in unlocked cabinets.”

More information about applying for funding for a free defibrillator through the British Heart Foundation and the conditions for applying can be found here.

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