Where is my nearest defibrillator / AED?
We don’t have a list of where defibrillators are located across the UK, however you can search using the links included below in this blog. If you’re interested in buying a defibrillator, please click here.
Please note – in an emergency, call 999 – your local ambulance service will also be able to inform you where any local defibrillators registered with them are located.
How quickly you can find the nearest defibrillator / AED can be a matter of life and death. When someone is in cardiac arrest and not breathing, every second counts.
If a defibrillator is used within the first 4 minutes of a person suffering a cardiac arrest, their chances of survival can increase to 70%, compared to just 5% if defibrillation is delayed.
There are public access defibrillators popping up all over the place. They’re in shopping centres, on phone boxes, airports, train stations and so on. If you keep your eye out for them you’re bound to be surprised by just how many you’ll spot!
They’re designed to be used by pretty much anyone with no training, so don’t be afraid to have a go. Most are automated and talk you through what you need to do, so you can get started before the emergency services arrive.
So where do you find out where your nearest defibrillator is?
The Circuit – the national defibrillator network, connects defibrillators to NHS ambulance services across the UK so that in those crucial moments after a cardiac arrest, they can be accessed quickly to help save lives.
If you call the emergency services and provide your location, the operator should be able to tell you where your nearest defibrillator is, if there’s one in reach and give you the code to access it. That’s only if they’ve been informed about its location though. There are also a couple of other databases that we recommend for you.
Defib Finder is funded and managed by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) and the information on Defib Finder is taken from The Circuit: the National defibrillator Network.
We’ve also been advocates of the GoodSAM app for a while now, frequently spreading the word on our social media pages. We’ve also added defibrillators to the database as and when we find ones that aren’t already on it. It’s great because you can add photos too!
Anyone can sign up as an ‘Alerter’ to ask for help in an emergency from a ‘Responder’. We’d encourage anyone with a valid First Aid qualification to register as a Responder. Both versions of the App allow you to locate your nearest defibrillator and also add new ones. Great stuff!
Another database in the UK, HeartSafe, is more user friendly from a desktop device but can also be used from a mobile. By inputting your postcode or town, it will show you the nearest defibrillators to you and whether they are accessible all the time or just during certain hours.
http://heartsafe.org.uk/AED-Locations
What can we do?
Please help us to spread the word on these databases, so that as a nation we can hopefully have a complete listing of defibrillators. Greater public awareness of these life saving machines and how to locate them is vital! We urge you to update both sites/apps with any unlisted defibrillators you find to help save more lives.
All of our First Aid courses cover using a defibrillator / AED, but if you don’t feel confident in using one or any other aspect of First Aid, just give us a shout as we’re always happy to help at Life Saving Training.