'GUARDIANS' of community defibrillators across the district are being urged to ensure their lifesaving kit is registered on a national database.

The devices are now a familiar sight on many buildings and at public locations throughout the area.

But not all the defibs are formally logged.

The Circuit – a programme to connect all defibrillators in the UK to a single network – was launched in 2021 by the British Heart Foundation, in partnership with the Resuscitation Council (UK) and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.

However, Yorkshire Ambulance Service says that while 4,408 defibrillators in the region are now registered on The Circuit, around 2,500 community public access defibs are still to be logged.

Warren Bostock, community defibrillation officer with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, says: "Previously all defibrillators were registered directly with us, but The Circuit means there is one central national database enabling more efficient emergency access.

"The automated system means guardians are immediately alerted if their device has been used, so that it can once again be made ‘emergency ready’. Also, regular reminders are provided for maintenance checks.

"Guardians are responsible for registering their defibrillator on The Circuit and while we can still access the kit on our legacy system, we need to ensure all defibrillators, old and new, are connected to the database and available to save the lives of patients in cardiac arrest."

Anyone who knows of a defibrillator in their community is encouraged to check if it is registered, at defibfinder.uk.

If it's not registered, they should contact the guardian, if known, and ask them to log the device on The Circuit at thecircuit.uk.

Mr Bostock adds: "A defibrillator is a device that gives a high-energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. This shock is called defibrillation, and it's an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who's in cardiac arrest, along with cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Defibrillators are easy to use, provide audible instructions to the user and will not deliver a shock unless it is required. No training is needed to use the equipment.

"Yorkshire Ambulance Service activated 940 community defibrillators across the region in December last year – the busiest month to date – and 910 of those were through The Circuit. There were 5,375 activations in total across Yorkshire in 2022."

Anyone considering buying a defibrillator for their community can get advice by emailing yas.communityresilienceaed@nhs.net.