The AHSN Improvement Academy has partnered with Yorkshire Ambulance Service and the British Heart Foundation in an innovative local media campaign which has resulted in nearly 500 previously unknown defibrillators being identified in Yorkshire and Humber. These new defibrillators are now registered with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service and can potentially save someone’s life.

Impact

• Nearly 500 previously unknown defibrillators located within Yorkshire and Humber have been identified as a result of the local media campaign run through this project.
• Most (85%) defibrillators identified are in businesses or schools and therefore only available when the building is open. (see figure 1 below)
• Telemarketing proved to be the most effective way of communicating with organisations about previously unknown defibrillators. (see figure 2 below)
• Interviewing members of the public on their knowledge of cardiac arrests and use of defibrillators showed there is a lack of understanding of cardiac arrest and of defibrillators. (see infographic below)

Future

• This project has demonstrated that many defibrillators have not been registered with their local ambulance service. This could be a matter of life and death.
• The interviews with members of the public have revealed a need to provide more educational awareness to members of the public about using defibrillators in the event of an out of hospital cardiac arrest.
• This project has the potential to be scaled-up in all regions of the UK..