Defibrillators in Schools
The young and Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)
Most people associate heart disease and cardiac arrests with older people, making a assumption it doesn’t affect the young. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Figures differing slightly (depending on the source) but it has been reported that over 270 children a year die from sudden cardiac arrest in the UK alone.
Survival rate is low. Most schools do not have access to a defibrillator – there is no mandatory requirement to have one – and whilst the community the school is situated in may have a defibrillator, it isn’t necessarily close enough if one was needed in an emergency.
SCA statistics:
- Every week in the UK, 12 apparently fit and healthy young aged 35 and under die from undiagnosed cardiac conditions.*
- Added to which 60,000 cardiac arrests occur outside of hospitals in the UK over the course of a year.
- Less than 1 in 10 survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This has been attributed to two factors:
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- There aren’t enough people prepared to perform CPR
- There aren’t enough defibrillators.^
How to campaign for a defibrillator in your school
With no official figures on the number of schools with defibs, or a defibrillator outside the school gates, the latest estimates are at around just 5%. At least one member of staff will be trained as a first aider, which may include defib training; but even without training, an automatic defibrillator does all the work for you. To hear what a defibrillator’s instructions sounds like, click here
If you want to help fundraise for your school, or feel they need a defibrillator, we can help. Defibs and their cabinets are often funded by charitable organisations that are set up to support the school, or other organisations such as a local Rotary Club. For funding ideas and opportunities, visit our blog here.
The defib must be easily accessible and registered with the local ambulance service. In order to do this, a cabinet is necessary to house the defib, so it is available 24/7 in times of an emergency.
If you are interested in getting a defib for your school, we have a number of different defib & cabinet packages that can be viewed here. We can also provide both children and adult defibrillator pads. Or if you would just like some advice, please get in touch here