Ross-shire communities urged to register defibrillators with national network to help paramedics save lives

Highlands and Islands MSP Jamie Halcro Johnston is encouraging people and organisations hosting defibrillators in their communities to ensure they are registered with a new a UK-wide national network.

The Circuit integrates with ambulance dispatch centres to direct bystanders to the nearest defibrillator in case of a cardiac arrest, reducing the time it takes those needing defibrillation to start receiving treatment.

At the moment, many defibrillators never get used because emergency services don’t know where they are or how to access them.

This can cost lives making the drive to raise awareness so vital.

The campaign to register defibrillators is being supported by the British Heart Foundation, in partnership with the Resuscitation Council UK and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Jamie Halcro Johnston said: “Only 1 in 10 people currently survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, but we know that accessing a defibrillator can greatly improve the chances of survival.

“Unfortunately, the majority of defibrillators are not known to the ambulance service which can mean that, in an emergency, people are not directed to their nearest device.

“However, registering your defibrillator with The Circuit should help the ambulance service direct people to their nearest defibrillator more quickly in the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest. That could save lives.

“And this could be particularly significant in the Highlands and Islands given the potential distances emergency services have to cover in order to attend to someone who needs help.”

Defibrillators can be registered with The Circuit here.

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