NORTH West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is encouraging local communities to re-establish thousands of local defibrillators that have fallen out of use.

While there are over 11,000 publicly accessible defibrillators in the north west, estimates suggest that close to 3,000 are offline and no longer usable in an emergency. This can be for several reasons, but often, it is because there is no longer anyone responsible for its upkeep and maintenance.

Defibrillators are a vital tool in the chain of survival when someone suffers cardiac arrest. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.

During an emergency 999 call, NWAS utilises "The Circuit," a national defibrillator network managed by the British Heart Foundation. This system connects defibrillators to NHS ambulance services, allowing emergency call handlers to swiftly direct bystanders to the nearest device.

However, to remain registered in the system, owners or guardians of the defib need to keep it maintained regularly to ensure it is usable and working when required. Batteries and the pads which attach to a patient's chest also need to be replaced on expiry.

NWAS has a team working to re-establish guardians where that link has disappeared or not passed on, and working with local communities to find new guardians to get devices online. Over the last few months, we’ve been successful in reinstating over 800 community defibrillators.

Mark Evans, NWAS Community Engagement Lead, says:- “We know communities often raise money to install life-saving equipment in public spaces. We are trying to raise the fact that the responsibility for the device does not simply end once it’s bought. It requires somebody to keep it maintained and operational. Often, 1 of the myths about these devices is that we are responsible for them once they are put up. However, that is not the case. There needs to be a dedicated person who ensures that, when needed, it can be used. We will take devices off the system after 90 days if we don’t get that notification, ensuring that we never send someone to devices that won’t help them in an emergency. We want to make sure as many of these devices are available as possible. We encourage all owners of publicly accessible defibrillators to register their defib on the network, as we even know some aren’t registered. This can be done www.thecircuit.uk.”

Cardiac arrest is a leading cause of death in the UK, with survival rates decreasing by up to 10% for every minute without intervention. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival. However, it's estimated that public-access defibrillators (PADs) are used in less than 10% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in the UK.

This work has been supported by the North West Ambulance Charity, which helps groups purchase new defibrillators as well as new batteries and pads to keep devices in working order.

Head of Charity, Jemma Kinch, says:- “1 of the charity’s primary aims is to support saving lives in the community, as well as supporting local groups purchase equipment. Over the last 12 months, we've also helped fund community officers who’ve been reinstating defibrillators that were offline and unavailable. We are very thankful for our supporters as they make a positive difference to their communities and emergency service staff.”