If someone has a cardiac arrest, a defibrillator can help restore their normal heart rhythm while you’re waiting for the emergency services to arrive.
More than 30,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK every year. Defibrillators are currently used in less than 1 in 20 cardiac arrests.
A cardiac arrest is when someone’s heart stops beating. It’s a medical emergency and every second matters. Anyone can have a cardiac arrest.
A defibrillator is a portable device that delivers a controlled electric shock safely. It tries to get the heart to beat normally again when someone has had a cardiac arrest.
Defibrillators are easy to use, even if you’ve not had training. Many defibrillators will tell you what you need to do and when to do it.
In the UK, fewer than 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Chances of survival decrease by up to 10% for every minute that passes without medical help.
There are currently 3 public access defibrillators in West Hill:
- Royal British Legion clubhouse, School Lane EX11 1TX
- Village Hall, Beech Park EX11 1UQ
- 11 Eastfield EX11 1XN
These locations have been approved by the South West Ambulance Service Trust and are registered on the national defibrillator network (The Circuit) to enable them to be easily found.
Map of locations in West Hill
