Survival and support
BHF reveals the country's 'defibrillator deserts' putting lives at risk
We have revealed 10 of the communities across the UK that don't have a potentially lifesaving defibrillator in close range, putting people at higher risk of dying if they have a cardiac arrest.
There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the UK, but less than one in 10 people survive. Quick CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance that someone’s life will be saved. It is vital that all communities have defibrillators available to help drastically increase the chances of survival, but hundreds of areas do not.
We are now inviting applications for our Community Defibrillator Funding Programme, where those in areas most in need can apply for a free lifesaving device from us.
The identified ‘defibrillator deserts’
These areas decrease the members of these communities’ chances of survival should they suffer a cardiac arrest. For every minute without defibrillation and CPR survival chances decrease by 10 per cent.
England
• Holme Hill, Grimsby
• Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury
• Mixenden, Halifax
• Revoe, Blackpool
Wales
• Gabalfa, Cardiff
• Trevethin, Pontypool
Scotland
• Hillhead Kilmarnock
• Broomhill, Greenock
Northern Ireland
• Twinbrook, Dunmurry
• Lagan Valley, Lisburn
We are urgently encouraging those areas eligible to apply to our 2025 scheme. Successful applicants will receive a defibrillator and cabinet, and installation costs will be covered where required. Future replacement parts will be free of charge when they expire or are used in an emergency for up to 10 years.
Linking in The Circuit
The awarded defibrillators will be registered on The Circuit, allowing emergency services to locate them when they are needed.
There are over 110,000 defibrillators registered on The Circuit: the national defibrillator network, but they are not evenly distributed. We have found that deprived communities need better support to help survival rates and improve response times for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
More deprived areas also have higher levels of cardiovascular disease and rates of death from cardiac arrest. These areas are often also the places that have the fewest defibrillators partially due to the cost of the equipment as well as the installation. These ’defibrillator deserts’ are putting lives at risk.
One of the defibrillators awarded through the scheme last year helped to save a life within six months of its installation.
In 2024 we identified Shipley in West Yorkshire as having no defibrillators. The community applied to the scheme and was awarded a defibrillator by us, funded by a partnership with Royal Mail, which was installed on the Shipley Islamic Centre.
Ashraf Miah, the secretary general for the Education Centre at the Shipley Islamic Centre said: “We told everyone who uses the centre to tell their families and neighbours that we had a defibrillator and that it was here unlocked and ready to be used.
“Just six months later, a man in the community had a cardiac arrest. Someone ran to the centre, got it, and used it on him. An ambulance then came, and his life was saved. He was in his 60s and it happened without warning.
“The family came back to the centre to say thank you. You must suppose that if we had not been given the defibrillator then this man could very likely have died. We are so grateful to Royal Mail and the British Heart Foundation for giving us this.”
“Every defibrillator holds the power to help save someone’s life”
Sam Kennard, our Community Defibrillator Manager said: “Defibrillators save lives and make communities safer. Every defibrillator holds the power to help save someone’s life and is crucial in the chain of survival during a cardiac arrest. We've made progress but there are still some areas without any defibrillators at all, and these are among our most deprived communities.
“We are delighted to be relaunching our community defibrillator funding programme to reach the areas where we can make the most difference and save more lives from cardiac arrest.”
You can apply for a BHF-funded defibrillator for your community until February.