Shocking Results of Defibrillator Listing System

A concerned local resident contacted me overnight having watched the BBC South East report about defibrillators.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m001n4vc/south-east-today-late-news-22062023 [BBC South East Today - 22/6/23 late edition, first item. Video will not be available in a few days]

The report reflected British Heart Foundation concerns that up to 70% of community defibs not being on the national database and showing as active so 999 call handlers can't direct people to them in an emergency.

The new national database is called The Circuit, and defibs need to be registered with that. The data from that is then mapped on https://www.defibfinder.uk/ If a defib is not listed there and shown as "Available Now" then 999 call operators will not be able to direct people to use it.

I have checked the listing status of the three Sandgate Parish Council defibs and all are there and shown as "Available Now" / open 24/7, which is excellent and as it should be (and thanks to Hopkins, our supplier).

However, you can only list and keep up to date your own owned equipment. There are a number of other defibs listed as "Not Available" in Sandgate, Folkestone & Hythe (where I was checking). I'm also fairly confident there are more that a few defibs owned by various organisations that are not on the map at all, available or otherwise.

I'll be asking Folkestone Town Council and Hythe Town Council to check the site and ensure any equipment they have in the community is listed and shown as Available, but there are many other organisations that may have equipment but need to update their records with The Register.

You could help in this by checking on https://www.defibfinder.uk/ in your area, seeing where there are defibs, ensuring they are marked as "Available Now" (some will have limited opening hours such as those in shops - they should be shown as Available in those hours) and letting that organisation know if they are not. You might just save someone's life, by making sure the 999 team can direct people to it, and use it.