Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to help ensure that emergency services are provided with up to date information on the (a) location and (b) status of defibrillators installed at train stations.

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 in September 2023, the Government approved a further £500,000 in August 2024 to fulfil existing applications to the fund.

The Department does not hold data on AEDs installed in train stations or whether those AEDs are 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.

However, AEDs procured through the Department’s AED fund, once installed, are required to be registered on The Circuit. 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 SMS 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 battery or pads expire.