Professor Andy Lockey, MBE
President, Resuscitation Council UK
Early defibrillation helps save lives. Defibrillators are easy to use—you just need to switch it on, and it will tell you how to manage a cardiac arrest.
When someone has a cardiac arrest, their heart stops beating. Their only chance of survival will be the quick actions of those around them. Early defibrillation within three to five minutes of collapse can more than double their survival chances.
Anyone can use a defibrillator
Worryingly, recent data commissioned by the University of Warwick reveals that over half of people (61%) aren’t confident enough to use a defib, and a recent survey we conducted revealed that 40% of people thought you needed prior training to use one. This isn’t true. Anyone can use a public-access defib. Thousands of lives could be saved each year if more members of the public understood this.
Free defibrillator demonstration animation
Everyone in the UK must be defib-confident. This will ensure that, in the ultimate medical emergency, we can give people their best chance of survival. That’s why we’ve created an engaging and informative animation starring Defib Dani — a green, talking defibrillator who demonstrates how simple it is to use one.
The free-to-watch animation, which has also been translated into Welsh and Urdu, aims to give people the confidence to use a defib during a cardiac arrest. The animation is set in a supermarket, where Defib Dani calmly guides you through the simple steps of using a defib, emphasising that no prior training is needed. The device’s clear instructions ensure that anyone can step in and help save a life. The animation caters to all age groups — empowering everyone to be a potential lifesaver.
If you are looking after a defib, please
register your device on the national
defibrillator network: The Circuit.
Easy to access and locate
We are urging everyone looking after a defib — such as those in charge of pubs, sports clubs, community centres, churches, mosques and village halls — to make this lifesaving device available to the wider community, ensure it is unlocked and, where possible, accessible to the public 24/7.
If you are looking after a defib, please register your device on the national defibrillator network: The Circuit. This will ensure ambulance services can immediately direct bystanders to their nearest defib, helping to save valuable time.
Learn CPR in minutes
Our ‘CPQR code’ allows you to scan and learn CPR in two minutes. More than 20,000 people have scanned the code. Let’s ensure we combine CPR with defibrillation wherever possible to help increase survival rates of cardiac arrest.
Access Defib Dani and lifesaving skills at resus.org.uk.
