By Dr Jonathan Shurlock
The Circuit is a nationwide defibrillator network, created in an attempt to improve survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Formed through a partnership between the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) St John Ambulance, and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) it is now used by all 14 ambulance services after the London Ambulance service joined.
The Circuit allows ambulance services to locate defibrillators, and ensure that each one is ready for emergency use. The rationale for this comes from data showing that public defibrillators are used in less than 10% of relevant cases. The aim of the project is to allow 999 call handlers to direct bystanders to the closest defibrillator while awaiting ambulance arrival.
Currently just over 50,000 defibrillators are registered with The Circuit network, with continuous additions being made. The British Heart Foundation are calling for anyone who maintains a defibrillator in any non-healthcare setting, including public places, businesses and community settings, to register them. It is free to register a defibrillator with The Circuit network and it only needs to be done once.
See more information here (including how to register a defibrillator): https://www.thecircuit.uk/
