Deliveries of defibrillators began 20 January to all state-funded schools in England that don’t currently have a life-saving device.
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Last year, the government committed to supplying state-funded schools across England with defibrillators to make sure there is a device in every school.
It follows campaigning from the Oliver King Foundation and its founder Mark King, who has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of the need for defibrillators since he tragically lost his son at the age of 12 to cardiac arrest while swimming at school.
The deliveries of the first defibrillators mark the start of a roll out of over 20,000 defibrillators to almost 18,000 state-funded schools by the end of the academic year.
The government is also supporting schools in making defibrillators available to the community, with external heated defibrillator cabinets being provided to primary and special schools in areas where provision is lower.
An internal cabinet is being provided to secondary schools that are receiving two or more defibrillators, so one can be placed at the school’s sports facility, where a cardiac arrest is more likely to happen.
The Oliver King Foundation and other leading charities, including the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK and St John Ambulance, have supported the creation of updated guidance which will give schools the tools and knowledge they need to use their new defibrillators.
This is the largest defibrillator programme in England to date and will ensure that pupils and staff have access to this lifesaving first aid equipment.
The new guidance provides advice for schools on how to make their defibrillator available to the community. The government is also encouraging schools to sign up to The Circuit, the national defibrillator network.
As part of the rollout, awareness videos are being provided to show how simple defibrillators are to use, and schools are being encouraged to share these videos in staff meetings and assemblies.
This follows the announcement last month of a new £1 million fund to increase the number of defibrillators in communities most in need - providing an estimated 1,000 new defibrillators in community spaces across England. ■