40 fully funded lifesaving defibrillators installed in Bristol
A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time. So far this year, around 25% of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s (GWAAC) call-outs to Bristol have been for cardiac arrests.
Earlier this year, bystanders helped someone suffering a cardiac arrest in central Bristol. They provided CPR and used a defibrillator that was situated nearby on the wall of the Bristol City Council building. The crew from GWAAC quickly travelled to the scene, landed on College Green and helped treat the patient before travelling with them to hospital. Thankfully, the patient survived.
More defibrillators are needed in Bristol
What happens before emergency services arrive, including defib use, often makes the difference between life and death. Those first minutes are critical — effective CPR and defibrillation can boost survival chances from less than 10% to over 70%.
Sadly, Bristol has fewer defibrillators than similar cities and the gap is widest in more deprived areas.
Last summer, Bristol City Council awarded funding for public defibs to help improve outcomes for the thousands of people who suffer cardiac arrests in the city every year. Through its Great Western Hearts programme, GWAAC is helping to place and install them.
Thanks to the vital funding from Bristol City Council, 40 publicly accessible defibs have already been installed across the city — outside pubs, churches, community centres, workplaces and more. And now, together with additional funding from the Sam Polledri Foundation, GWAAC is urging groups, businesses and community spaces in Bristol to apply for one of the 27 remaining funded defibs and cabinets.
How you can help
All you need is a suitable location and a friendly electrician (or GWAAC can help arrange installation). Go to gwaac.com/defibs-for-bristol to learn how you could help save lives in your area.
It’s a simple three-step process:
1. Check what’s near you: Use defibfinder.co.uk to see nearby publicly accessible devices.
2. Choose a location: e.g. Pubs, cafés, libraries, offices, or village halls.
3. Apply: Complete GWAAC’s Expression of Interest form, it only takes 5-10 minutes
With 40 defibrillators installed and 27 more to go, GWAAC urges communities across Bristol to step forward and help save lives. Act soon! Applications close at the end of October.
Kate Spreadsbury, from Friends of Oldbury Court shares her experience of obtaining a defib: “Since installation, our defibrillator has been used twice in emergency incidents, proving its worth to everyone in the park and the immediate community. We are supported by our ongoing relationship with GWAAC. We have learned that looking after our community is not just about getting a piece of equipment, it’s also about having a long-term relationship with an organisation that is passionate and determined to make lifesaving equipment available to everyone.
Friends of Oldbury Court with defib
Caroline Kivungi, GWAAC Defibrillator Officer, says: “Thank you Bristol for the incredible community effort so far but Let’s find homes for them all and make Bristol one of the safest cities in the UK for cardiac arrest survival.”
Read more Bristol News at https://directlocalbristol.co.uk/bristol-news/
