Defibrillators being sent to schools

Oliver King died aged just 12 years old when he suffered a cardiac arrest while taking part in a swimming race in 2012, if a defibrillator had been available then, Oliver could have survived.

There is clear evidence showing that defibrillators drastically increase the chance of survival from a cardiac arrest and therefore have the potential to save the lives of pupils, staff and visitors in schools.  Research shows that accessing these devices within 3-5 minutes of a cardiac arrest increases the chance of survival by over 40%.

It’s particularly important that they are available close to sports halls and playing fields that children, young people, and the wider community use daily.

The first defibrillators were issued to schools on 20 January marking the start of a roll out of over 20,000 devices to almost 18,000 state-funded schools in England. The rollout is expected to be complete by the end of the academic year.