Last Updated on 20/07/2022 by Jamie McKay
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[July, 2022. London, UK] The British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) and its First Aid Medical Equipment (FAME) members are supporting The Circuit initiative – a campaign to connect defibrillators to emergency services across the UK.
Spearheaded by the British Heart Foundation, in partnership with St John Ambulance, Resuscitation Council UK, and Association of Ambulance Chief Execs, the project aims to create a centralised and accessible national database of registered of defibrillators.
According to St John Ambulance, there are an estimated 100,000 defibrillators across the UK, however, tens of thousands of these are unknown to ambulance and emergency services. This can result in emergency services not having access, or directing bystanders, to the life-saving device when needed.
With the recent announcement from the Department of Health, that state-funded schools across England will receive defibrillators, there is even more need for their location to be easily accessible by the emergency services.
“The Circuit is working very hard to ensure that all Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are known to 999 services in the community.”
Rob Higgie, First Aid Medical Equipment Section Lead of the British Healthcare Trades Association
Research from the National Institute for Care and Research shows when a defibrillator is utilised (in addition to CPR), a person’s survival odds can increase from approximately 6% to 74%.
To help ensure emergency services can get hold of these vital devices, the BHTA and its FAME members are urging all organisations to register their defibrillators on ‘The Circuit’.
Rob Higgie, First Aid Medical Equipment Section Lead of the British Healthcare Trades Association, commented:
“The Circuit is working very hard to ensure that all Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are known to 999 services in the community, so that they can be deployed in a cardiac arrest to save lives. In my opinion, it’s a very noble cause.”
The BHTA represents ethical and trusted suppliers of first aid medical equipment, including suppliers of AEDs, as well as a wide range of other sectors in the healthcare and assistive technology industry. A list of BHTA-approved companies can be found in the online BHTA member directory.
Organisations can register their defibrillators at https://www.thecircuit.uk/
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About the BHTA: Representing over 400 companies in the healthcare and assistive technology industry, the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA) supports its members to help ensure the best outcomes for the most vulnerable in society. All BHTA members are committed to adhering to the Association’s Code of Practice – the only code in the industry approved by The Chartered Trading Standards Institute.
About the BHTA First Aid Medical Equipment Section:
Comprised of the UK’s leading manufacturers and distributors of first aid and medical products, the First Aid Medical Equipment Section works to promote best practices in the industry, for example, in the recently published new guidance on how to effectively apply a tourniquet in an emergency situation.
About ‘The Circuit’:
The Circuit is the national defibrillator network which maps defibrillators across the UK, connecting them directly and automatically to each ambulance service.
Media contact: Calvin Barnett, Head of Marketing and Communications
Contact email: marketing@bhta.com
