Today, politicians and AED manufacturers are coming together to highlight a dangerous shortage of defibrillators that threatens to worsen survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest in the UK – already the nation’s biggest killer.
A global shortage of components and batteries mean UK AED suppliers are experiencing significant delays in delivering lifesaving defibrillators. With demand vastly outstripping supply, some AED distributors are reporting wait times of between six to nine months for customers to access new defibrillators or replacement parts.
AEDs critical for cardiac arrest survival, but inconsistent UK provision preventing lives being saved
Every day, 150 lives are lost to sudden cardiac arrest in the UK. Without quality CPR and defibrillation, chances of survival drop by 10% every minute.
But with only 100,000 devices in a country with a population of over 67 million, UK AED coverage is insufficient and inconsistent. The Circuit has mapped 40% of AEDs across the country, but this leaves most devices inaccessible for public use. The global battery and part shortage means that even some devices listed on the public access network are currently non-operational.
UK politicians get behind the campaign to boost AED supply
Earlier this year, UK government committed to supply defibrillators to all state-funded schools in England. This pledge requires provision of an estimated 20,000 AEDs by June 2023. Without intervention to tackle the AED shortage, there are concerns that the government will not be able to meet this target.
And the problem is not confined to schools. Of the 100,000 lives claimed by sudden cardiac arrest in the UK each year, 60,000 happen out of hospital. The majority take place in the home (72%) or workplace (15%), where there is currently no legislation mandating AED provision.
A group of MPs and peers have today announced their intention to coalesce around the issue and form a new APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) and launch an emergency inquiry into the UK’s AED shortage.
Conservative party MP Jonathan Gullis, who will chair the APPG, said: “It is truly sad that in our society today, so many people are still dying from sudden cardiac arrest. The shortage of defibrillators across the UK is a serious concern, and not helping to prevent people unnecessarily tragically losing their lives. That’s why I am delighted to announce today that we plan to launch an APPG to highlight the importance of improving survival rates from cardiac arrest and resolving the UK’s AED shortage. I look forward to personally championing this mission and working with colleagues and key players in the industry to implement change.”
Supporting the campaign, Lord Storey, Peer, who will be joining the APPG, said, “The government needs to act now to deliver on its pledge to roll out defibrillators across all state-funded schools in England and address the wider AED supply shortage putting lives at risk across the country. What’s more, we need to make access to life saving defibrillators a legal obligation in schools, workplaces, and social institutions.”
Addressing the shortage, Stephanie Peacock, Shadow Minister for Media, Data, and Digital Infrastructure, who also intends to join the APPG, said, “Defibrillators are an essential piece of equipment for saving lives in public and private spaces. However, this means when defibrillators are broken or missing, lives may be tragically and unnecessarily lost.
“The current shortage of defibrillators and parts is an emergency, and every possible step must be taken to resolve it. ”
Rapid Response Revival commits to boosting UK supply by 200% over the next year
In response to the shortage, Australian-based manufacturer Rapid Response Revival has committed to an expedited shipment of 10,000 AEDs to the UK in early 2023 to help tackle the crisis.
Earlier this year Rapid Response Revival launched CellAED – the world’s first personal, at-home defibrillator – which is a fraction of the size, weight and price of conventional AEDs. As a next-generation defibrillator, CellAED does not rely on the components causing supply issues for conventional AEDs – meaning it can be manufactured at scale to help overcome AED shortages in the UK.
Rapid Response Revival is on track to deliver up to 200,000 CellAEDs to the UK over the course of 2023, boosting UK provision by over 200%. In addition to making CellAED available through CellAED.io, Rapid Response Revival will be partnering with select UK AED suppliers to maximise availability of the life-saving device.
CellAED will also be discounted for both professional and volunteer first responders via CellAED.io.
