Screwfix has joined with the British Heart Foundation to install defibrillators in all of its 870-plus stores across the UK and the RoI.
The group is also registering its network of defibrillators onto The Circuit, developed by the BHF with Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives to map all public access defibrillators, so that 999 call handlers can direct callers to the nearest registered defibrillator.
It’s estimated that tens of thousands of defibrillators remain unknown to ambulance services, meaning emergency services cannot direct bystanders to them in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Screwfix will also begin the roll out the BHF’s first-of-its-kind CPR training tool RevivR to its colleagues. RevivR is an innovative tool that teaches the user CPR and defibrillation skills in just 15 minutes.
With just a phone and a firm cushion, the training tool teaches users how to recognise a cardiac arrest. It gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps of defibrillator use, giving anyone the confidence to step in and save a life in the event of the ultimate medical emergency.
Figures show that fewer than one in ten people survive the 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK but immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.
BHF commercial director Mike Taylor said: “Every minute without CPR or defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest by up to 10 per cent. Screwfix is helping communities by providing its colleagues and customers with the information and tools they need to potentially save a life and help to triple the number of people surviving a cardiac arrest.”
