Bridging the Survival Divide: Strategically Improving OHCA Outcomes
Survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) remain low in Scotland. We want to change that. Our new report explains what action is needed to save more lives.
Each year, there are around 3,800 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in Scotland. Survival rates remain low, with just 1 in 10 people surviving, and marked health inequalities persist. People living in our most deprived communities are twice as likely to have an OHCA and less likely to survive.
Our new report sets out why urgent, strategic action is needed to close these gaps and save more lives.
What's in the report?
Our report covers:
- the current landscape of OHCA survival in Scotland
- defibrillator use and health inequalities
- evidence-led solutions to improve survival rates
- recommendations for investment and improving community readiness.
Why this matters now
Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces survival chances by up to 10%, yet a public-access defibrillator (PAD) is used in only 1 in 10 OHCAs in Scotland.
We now have the strongest data ever to show where PADs are needed most and how strategic investment to expand access to PADs in our communities could save lives. Targeted investment into communities with currently high retrieval times for defibrillators, higher incidence of OHCA, and low survival rates could help address inequalities.
Our key recommendations
Our recommendations include:
- strategic Investment in PADs
- optimised placement using data tools like PADmap and The Circuit
- support for PAD guardianship and maintenance for at least 10 years
- mandatory CPR training in schools to strengthen community readiness
- tailored approaches for rural areas to ensure geography does not dictate survival chances.
Together, we can close the survival gap and save more lives.