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Written question asked by Anna Gelderd (Labour) on Tuesday, 16 June 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 18 June 2026. It was answered by Sharon Hodgson (Labour) on Wednesday, 24 June 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.

Defibrillators

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support public awareness of how to access and use community defibrillators in emergency situations.

Answer

The Circuit national defibrillator network is independently operated by The British Heart Foundation (BHF). Information on the BHF website states that there are currently 121,449 registered defibrillators, of which 58% are accessible to the public on a 24/7 basis. Many of these defibrillators have been installed as a result of local community led action. Further information is available at the following link:

https://www.bhf.org.uk

The Department has not undertaken an assessment of the geographical variation in defibrillator access. The Government’s position is that local communities are best placed to make decisions about procuring, locating, and maintaining defibrillators

Responsibility for public-facing cardiopulmonary resuscitation training primarily sits with voluntary sector organisations and is supported locally by ambulance services and partners.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
10525
Session
2026-27
Grouped for answer
Yes
Subjects
Defibrillators
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk