South Central Ambulance Service is urging defibrillator guardians across Hampshire, including in Basingstoke, to check their devices without delay after a recent heatwave triggered a 118% surge in deployments. The NHS trust warned that with temperatures again climbing into the mid-30s Celsius this week, every publicly accessible defibrillator must be ready for use.
Between 19 and 28 June, 999 call takers directed bystanders to retrieve nearby defibrillators almost twice as often as during the previous 10 days. The rise in the South Central region was nearly four times the 31% national increase recorded over the same period. Guardians are being asked to check that pads and batteries have not expired, the device powers on correctly, and the cabinet is accessible.
The UK Health Security Agency issued a red heat health alert during the late June hot spell, which ran from 24 to 26 June. Figures from The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, and the British Heart Foundation showed the spike in demand coincided with extreme temperatures. SCAS stressed that a defibrillator missing from the register is invisible to 999 call handlers, meaning it cannot be deployed during a cardiac arrest.
Modern automated external defibrillators give clear spoken instructions and will only deliver a shock if clinically necessary, so untrained bystanders can use them safely. Despite this, fewer than one in 20 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests currently see a defibrillator used, according to Circuit data. Anyone responsible for a community, workplace or public-access device can register or update its details at The Circuit’s website.
Jack Ansell, Divisional Community Engagement Manager for Hampshire, and his Thames Valley counterpart David Hamer are leading the push for immediate action as the region endures its third heatwave of the summer.
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