Schools: Defibrillators

(asked on 8th January 2019) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the availability of defibrillators in schools.


Answered by
Nadhim Zahawi Portrait
Nadhim Zahawi
This question was answered on 14th January 2019

There is no legal requirement for schools to purchase an automated external defibrillator (AED), but the government encourages them to do so as part of their first aid equipment.

School-age children are at a relatively low risk of cardiac arrest but to ensure that any risk, no matter how small, is minimised, AEDs are currently available for schools and other education providers in the UK to purchase through the NHS Supply Chain at a reduced cost. These arrangements are available to all UK schools, including academies and independent schools, sixth-form colleges, FE institutions and early years settings (including holiday and out-of-school providers).

The government has produced guidance for schools on buying, installing and using an AED, which can be viewed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/automated-external-defibrillators-aeds-in-schools.

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