Life-saving equipment must be registered says councillor

Cllr Adam Tinsley said it was vital all of the heart-starting kits were included in The Circuit, a first-of-its-kind programme led by the British Heart Foundation to connect all defibraillators to a single network.

While more than 4,400 Yorkshire defibrillators are now registered, around 2,500 community public access and static defibrillators across the county are yet to be logged, according to YAS.

Cllr Tinsley — who has successfully campaigned for more defibrillators in his ward, as well as pushing for any future large housing developments in Rotherham to incorporate a defibrillator — added: “The implementation of the BHF Circuit has seen all ambulance service defibrillator databases being brought to one location.

“Registering means your defibrillator will be available in an emergency.

“I urge all defibrillator guardians to make sure they have registered their defibrillator and undertake regular checks to make sure they are available.”

Last year, Cllr Tinsley teamed up with Healthwatch Rotherham to investigate concerns about town centre defibrillators and discovered almost half were showing as “not available” despite being advertised as being accessible 24/7.  

The Advertiser also recently reported claims by Cllr Michael Bennett-Sylvester that a defibrillator at Staple Green Neighbourhood Centre in Thrybergh was still potentially awaiting both registration and a guardian, nearly a year after the issue was first reported to Rotherham Council.

YAS activated an average of 15 community defibrillators a day across the region last year, with last December the busiest month at more than 900.

Warren Bostock, community defibrillation officer at YAS, said as well as providing guardians with regular reminders for maintenance checks, the central national database helped provide more efficient emergency access, and sent immediate alerts if the device has been used so it could be made “emergency ready” again.

He added: “Guardians are responsible for registering their defibrillator on The Circuit,” he said, “and while YAS can still access defibrillators on our legacy system, we need to ensure all defibrillators, old and new, are connected to The Circuit and available to save the lives of patients in cardiac arrest.”

What is a defibrillator?

A device that gives a high-energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest.

Defibrillators are easy to use, provide audible instructions, and will not deliver a shock unless required.

No training is needed to use the equipment.

What do I need to do?

Check community defibrillators are registered at www.defibfinder.uk.

If not, contact the “guardian” — if known — and ask them to register the device on The Circuit at www.thecircuit.uk.

Anyone considering buying a defibrillator for their community should contact the YAS community resilience department for advice - email [email protected].