Survival and support
Landmark moment as The Circuit becomes fully nationwide
From John O’Groats to Land’s End and across the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland, all 14 UK ambulance services can now find nearby defibrillators more quickly and check they’re ready for an emergency, thanks to The Circuit.
There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, but fewer than one in ten people survive.
Immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival - however public access defibrillators are used in less than one in ten cases.
We developed The Circuit as part of our mission to improve the UK’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates.
To improve survival rates, we came together with our partners, Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) St John Ambulance, and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), to roll out The Circuit: the national defibrillator network.
Its aim is to map all public access defibrillators, so that when someone has a cardiac arrest, 999 call handlers can direct bystanders to the nearest registered defibrillator while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
Call to register defibs on the new database
The Circuit recently celebrated a milestone of 50,000 mapped defibrillators – representing around half of the estimated 100,000 defibrillators in the UK being registered on The Circuit.It’s estimated that tens of thousands of defibrillators remain unknown to ambulance services, meaning emergency services cannot direct bystanders to them in the event of a cardiac arrest.
We are urging anyone who looks after defibrillators in public places, communities or businesses, to register them on The Circuit.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive, said: “Seconds matter when someone has a cardiac arrest, and the difference between life and death could be knowing where the nearest defibrillator is.
"The Circuit allows 999 call handlers to find the nearest life-saving device in an emergency, which is why I’m so thrilled that every ambulance service in the UK now has access to this pioneering database. I have no doubt this will save lives.
“But our work isn’t done. We think there are still tens of thousands of defibrillators which are essentially lost to ambulance services. We need everyone’s help to finish the job by making sure that your local defibrillators are registered on The Circuit.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am delighted that the London Ambulance Service has joined The Circuit platform, which is a fantastic, life-saving database of defibrillators.
“Simply put, defibrillators save lives, and you don’t need training to use one. That’s why I’ve committed to increasing access to defibrillators as part of my action to build a safer city for everyone. I urge all communities, gyms and businesses who have defibrillators in public places to register them on the circuit database so that they can be part of a network that will help save lives.”
Fenella Wrigley, Chief Medical Officer at London Ambulance Service, said: “If someone is in cardiac arrest, call 999 for an ambulance. Our call handler will guide you on how to perform chest compressions and tell you where to find the nearest defibrillator.
“There are more than 7,500 public access defibrillators in London and you don’t need training to use one. Once you turn it on, it will give clear instructions on how to attach the defibrillator pads. The device checks the heart rhythm and will only tell you to shock if it is needed. You can't shock someone accidentally. Anyone can use a defibrillator; anyone can save a life.”
It’s free to register your defibrillator onto The Circuit, and you only have to do it once. You can also register multiple defibrillators if you are the guardian to more than one.
REGISTER A DEFIB