Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of automated external defibrillators in (a) residential areas where cardiac arrests are most prevalent and (b) other residential areas.

The Government is committed to improving access to Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in public spaces, and reducing inequalities in access to these life saving devices. Following the depletion of the existing AED fund, launched in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The Department selected a joint bid from Smarter Society as its independent partners to manage grant applications. Smarter Society has reviewed the funding applications against the requirements specified by the Department. These requirements are to ensure that resources are allocated where there is the greatest need, for instance in remote communities with extended ambulance response times, places with high footfall and high population densities, hotspots for cardiac arrest including sporting venues and venues with vulnerable people, and deprived areas.

As part of the Department’s requirements, the defibrillators are suitable for use by untrained persons. The Mindray C1A Defibrillator, a fully automated device suitable for use by untrained persons, are the AEDs provided by Smarter Society, in partnership with London Hearts charity. When an AED is installed on the external wall of a building, Smarter Society advises the guardian that the AED is listed on the public liability insurance in case of loss or theft.

Once installed, these defibrillators are required to be registered on The Circuit, a national defibrillator and ambulance service database, operated independently by the British Heart Foundation, in collaboration with the National Health Service. Upon registration, contact details are provided for the nominated AED guardian or guardians, who are local to the defibrillator’s location, and conduct checks when required. The registered guardian receives an automatic email or text message notification if the defibrillator has potentially been used, therefore prompting the guardian to conduct a check. The Circuit records the potential use of each registered defibrillator. The registered guardian of the defibrillator will automatically be contacted if their AED is potentially used, and may therefore require replacement pads. In addition, The Circuit will also send out an automatic notification to the guardian approximately three months before the AED’s battery or pads expire.

Following the use of an AED machine, they do not require resetting. The only maintenance required is to change battery after five years. The pads must be replaced at the point of expiry, with a minimum three-year lifespan, or after each use. London Hearts, the supplier for the Community AED programme, runs a free pad program and discounts the costs for replacements.

The Department does not hold data on AEDs installed on Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on The Circuit.

The Department has continued its partnership with Smarter Society, who managed the grant applications on our behalf, with London Hearts supplying the AEDs. London Hearts is the leading heart defibrillator charity in the United Kingdom, supporting communities with the provision of life saving heart defibrillators, and teaching cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillator skills.

NHS England has partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development, to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028.