On the 27th March 2024 we visited Glen Johnson, who applied to receive a donated defibrillator for his local community on Prince Edward road (also known as the Nook Shopping Precinct). The Nook is a very popular shopping precinct with a high daily footfall that has two public houses in the same run of shops, numerous supermarkets and food outlets.

The closest defibrillator to this location was Cleadon Village or South Tyneside Hospital, around one mile away from Prince Edward Road.

While public awareness about defibrillators is growing, there's still a pressing need to ensure widespread access to these devices, especially in public spaces and community centres. This is where the act of donating defibrillators becomes not just a company gesture, but a potentially life-saving one.

Time Matters During Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)

Time is of the essence when responding to SCA. The first few minutes are crucial, and having a defibrillator on-site and quick effective CPR given can significantly improve survival chances from 6% to 74%. In a busy public area, passers by should prioritise quick access to life-saving equipment to minimise response time.

Defibrillators save lives. When someone suffers a SCA, oxygen is no longer being transported to their brain and other vital organs. Just one in ten survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK. Immediate treatment is often reliant on bystander intervention.

Public Access Defibrillators

Public Access Defibrillators are devices that are available to members of the public and the emergency services if someone suffers a SCA. These are available for use 24 hours a day and are often located in outdoor cabinets outside of buildings, meaning the defibrillators are permanently accessible. 

These devices are often seen in public spaces such as airports, schools, sports arenas, shopping malls, and other high-traffic areas where cardiac emergencies may occur. The aim is to make these life-saving devices readily available so that bystanders can use them to administer treatment while waiting for professional medical help to arrive. 

What Is The Circuit?

The Circuit is a national defibrillator network that shows where defibrillators can be found. The Circuit brings nationwide defibrillator location information together into one database. 

When you register your defibrillator on The Circuit, the location of the defibrillator and status is instantly synchronised with the emergency services' systems to ensure the information is kept up to date and ready to help save lives.

A New HeartSafe Community

Glen will be storing his defibrillator in an outdoor locked cabinet located outside the Derby pub on prince edward road, an area that has hundreds of people pass by daily. This not only keeps the area heartsafe but raises awareness of defibrillators and SCA as the device is in direct eye sight of any customers and members of the public passing by.

Defibrillators are designed to be user-friendly, allowing anyone whether trained or notto administer life-saving treatment effectively. Defibrillators are equipped with voice prompts and visual instructions, guiding users through the process of delivering a shock. In the critical moments following an SCA event, bystanders can take action before professional help arrives, improving the chance of survival.

While the importance of defibrillators is widely recognised, cost can often be a barrier to widespread deployment. Many organisations rely on donations to acquire and distribute these devices to communities in need. Through our defibrillator donation program, individuals, businesses, and community groups can contribute to making public spaces safer and more resilient in the face of cardiac emergencies.

We are delighted to place another donated defibrillator into such a close community and will continue to support Glen and the derby pub.

If you would like to be in with a chance to receive a defibrillator for your local charity/community, please contact us today