West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) proudly launches social media campaign ‘Let Us See Your AED’ to encourage the registration of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), also known as Defibrillators, on the British Heart Foundation’s ‘The Circuit’. AEDs are life-saving pieces of equipment used to shock a cardiac arrest patient’s heart.
Did you know that there are over 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests in the UK per year? Shockingly less than 8% of people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrests to the point of hospital discharge. This is because for every minute CPR and the use of an AED is not administered, the chances of survival decrease by 10%.
So, why is it important to register AEDs on The Circuit? WMAS Call Assessors use The Circuit to help direct callers to the nearest AED within 500m of where the cardiac arrest is occurring. Quite simply, if AEDs are not registered on The Circuit, WMAS does not have access to the information such as location and access codes needed to instruct a bystander to the life-saving AED. Currently there are at least 2778 AEDs that are unregistered and not accessible by WMAS.
Paramedic Practice and Patient Safety Director, Nick Henry said: “It is vital that we get as many people as possible to register AEDs on The Circuit. Having AEDs available to bystanders in a cardiac arrest situation, saves lives. However, for us to be able to instruct the caller on how to gain access to these AEDs they must be registered. It only takes a few minutes to register and could make all the difference in a life-or-death situation”.
This week, on our social media, we’ll be talking to the British Heart Foundation, Research Paramedic Josh Miller and Professor Gavin Perkins (University of Warwick) about the importance of registering AEDs on The Circuit and the life-saving impact AEDs in the community are having on cardiac arrest patients. As well as hearing emotional real-life accounts from a cardiac arrest survivor and his ‘guardian angel’, and a family who have channelled their heartbreaking loss into campaigning for AEDs in the community.
To find out more about ‘Let Us See Your AED’ keep an eye out on @OfficialWMAS social media pages on Facebook, Instagram, X and Threads and follow the hashtag #LetUsSeeYourAED.
Notes to Editors
On Thursday 18th April WMAS will be supporting an AED installation and community demonstration on how to use life-saving AEDs, in the Warwickshire area. There will also be chance to speak with OurJay Foundation Chair, Naomi Rees-Issitt about the work the foundation is doing to campaign for publicly accessible AEDs. If you would like more information please contact elena.lewis@wmas.nhs.uk.
Ends
Elena Lewis – 15th April 2024 – 8.45am.
You need to do a campaign on registering key lock box codes too, alot of people haven’t and don’t know how too
Hi Colin. I think this is all the same issue. The ambulance service would have the key lock code if the AED is registered and so can then pass this on to the person calling.
Just a thought that all AED/Firstaid tutors include in courses when teaching to make sure all students are aware before leaving.