Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether recipients of the community automated external defibrillator (AED) fund are required to register their AEDs onto the national defibrillator network.

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 new Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The defibrillators provided through this scheme are required to be registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator 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 on the AED.

The Department does not hold data on the availability of AEDs in the Gosport area, nor does it hold data on AEDs installed in Government buildings, or whether those AEDs are registered on The Circuit.