A: A defibrillator, often referred to as an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) is a device that is used to deliver an electric shock to someone in Cardiac Arrest in an attempt to restore a normal heart rhythm. Without a defibrillator the chances of the patient surviving an out of hospital Cardiac Arrest are as low as 5%.
A: A Community Public Access Defibrillator that is stored in an external cabinet available to members of the public 24/7. Indoor defibrillators can be made available to members of the public with the agreement of the owner, subject to their opening hours.
A:No, the device talks the user through the procedure.
A: Where possible, in an area with high footfall, or locations with a higher risk of a medical emergency such as a sports venue.
Privately owned defibrillators are regulated by the owners own constitution, professional guidelines and their insurance providers. This applies both to the acquisition of the defibrillator and the ongoing maintenance.
There is no legal requirement for anyone to provide a Public Access Defibrillator, nor as to what standard of defibrillator or cabinet is used. However, if you do provide a CPAD that is registered for deployment you have a responsibility to ensure that it is rescue ready when stated to be so. Realistically, this can only be relative to being to the best of your ability and knowledge. For example, a Defibrillator Guardian may do his regular check and confirm it as rescue ready.
The following day the defibrillator could develop a problem, or there could be a glitch within the registration process that creates a problem with its status.
A: Ultimately, regardless of how the equipment was originally funded, it is the responsibility of the community to cover the costs of new pads and batteries etc.
The original funding party may be quite happy to also cover the costs of consumables. If not, it is down to the local community. However, they have no legal responsibility to do so, and may simply accept that the CPAD will cease to be available for deployment to an emergency. In such cases the equipment may eventually be relocated to a community that is prepared to fund it, dependant on the basis of the original funding.
A:The purchaser or host site should speak to their insurers and request that it be added to their business insurance.
A:
No, but it is advisable. All our CPADs are covered, including coverage for Defibrillator Guardians conducting their regular checks.
A: The defibrillator only delivers a shock if one is advised following its analysis of the patient. Therefore, there is very little danger to the patient and if the rescuer follows the audio instructions given by the device carefully, there is no potential danger to the rescuer either providing the patient is not laid in standing water or laid on a metal base. The patient may suffer from one or more broken ribs from the performance of CPR, but they can be repaired.
A: Defibrillators can be used on children from 1 to 8 years old, with paediatric pads being used where available. The 999 operator may advise you to place the pads on the chest and the back.
A: Yes, defibrillators can be used on pregnant woman without any risk to the baby.
A: A defibrillator kept indoors protects the property owner, staff and visitors. In many cases they have been released to members of the public in an emergency, dependent on the opening hours of the business. Defibrillators kept in an external cabinet and available to members of the public 24/7 clearly offer more protection to the whole community.
A: There are often local electricians who are happy to install the cabinet free of charge. The actual charges for it being installed can be between £100 and £200 depending how far the CPAD is from the nearest power supply.
A: Every defibrillator offers different options and benefits to the user and their specific circumstances. Some have an easy to use switch between child and adult settings whereas others may require a change of pads. Some are fully automatic which is ideal for use in the public domain where a bystander may be unfamiliar with defibrillators. However, where a defibrillator is stored inside such as a Sports Centre the staff will be trained in its use, regardless of the number of buttons used.
A: There is no Good Samaritan Law in the UK. However, the SOCIAL ACTION, RESPONSIBILITY AND HEROISM BILL (Sarahs Law – 2015), was established to:
“provide reassurance to people who act in socially beneficial ways, behave in a generally responsible manner, or act selflessly to protect someone in danger by ensuring that the courts recognise their actions and always take that context into account in the event that something goes wrong and they are sued.” (There are no recoded instances where anyone in the UK has been charged for going to the assistance of a person in medical distress when acting in the patients best interest)
A: The Circuit was launched by the British Heart Foundation to create a nationwide database which Regional Ambulance Trusts link to when deploying CPADs. The status and readiness of CPADs registered with Circuit is regularly updated by the Defibrillator Guardian to ensure that the defibrillator is rescue ready when stated to be so.
It is not mandatory to register your CPAD with The Circuit or any other organisation unless stated as a part of any special purchase deal that you have entered into. However, if you do not register it with The Circuit it will not be deployed to any nearby emergency.
If you have a CPAD that is not registered with The Circuit it can be registered by following The Circuit tab in our headings.
