According to an announcement from the UK government, every school will have a defibrillator installed by the end of the 2022/23 academic year.

LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM, February 22, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- According to an announcement from the UK government, every school will have a defibrillator installed by the end of the 2022/23 academic year. This is a significant leap forward for safety in schools, providing a quick and responsive medical solution for cardiac issues that arise in education.

Cardiac events are far from rare in schools, with the organisation Cardiac Risk in the Young completing thorough testing that found that one in every 300 young people has a potentially life-threatening condition, with recent research papers finding that having access to a defibrillator within three to five minutes of a cardiac arrest increases the chance of surviving a critical incident by over 40%. In spite of young people being a relatively slim proportion of cardiac arrest sufferers, getting them support as soon as possible is a fundamental part of helping them to survive the incident.

Ex-Premier League footballer Jamie Carragher was one of the main proponents of this drive to equip every school with a defibrillator. He said of installing defibrillators in schools:

“Oliver King was a promising young footballer when he died following a sudden cardiac arrest in school. His mum and dad have been fighting for a change in legislation since then, in order to make it mandatory for all schools to have lifesaving defibrillators.

Christian Eriksen’s collapse during recent Denmark [vs Finland] match proved the power defibrillators have to save lives. It makes no sense that they are not required by law in all schools, and this needs to change.”

Whilst there was a wide perception that professional sportspeople were almost immune to cardiac incidents, akin to the way that people perceived young people’s potential for heart attacks, Christian Eriksen’s incident indicated that medical incidents are common regardless of the sufferer. The incident also demonstrated the importance of a rapid response. Footage shows that a teammate had the player in the recovery position within six seconds, with medical professionals on the scene within 16 seconds and CPR starting moments afterwards. The Dane made a full recovery and plays professional football to this day. Having a defibrillator in all schools across England, with thorough defibrillator training for all first aid-trained staff, makes this medical response accessible to young people with heart conditions across the country.

The government’s initial statement noted that a survey was going out to all schools with state funding to establish how many schools had an existing defibrillator device, and how many defibrillators the government need to provide. An initial estimate was around 20,000 devices, with every school having at least one device on-site. This figure increases for schools that take place over a larger area, with schools working on several campuses having devices in reach of all classrooms in a timely manner.

Implementing a policy of every school having a defibrillator adds to the government’s drive towards having a greater first aid provision in schools, protecting pupils from any potentially harmful effects. This includes having specific members of staff with a high level of training in first aid and following a rigorous set of government guidance. Students themselves are increasingly seeing first aid as a part of the curriculum, which contributes significantly to helping first aid outcomes both in a school environment and outside education.

Implementing defibrillators in schools has an effect beyond supporting schools in their first aid provision. Lots of schools with playing fields and indoor spaces hire out the area to football teams, netball teams and other extracurricular groups outside school hours. As community hubs, adding a defibrillator means that there is a greater chance of helping people beyond school age that might be more vulnerable to cardiac events. Organisations such as School Space are increasingly supporting schools in hiring out their spaces, and having defibrillators reduces the risk of health issues occurring during these periods without adequate treatment.

Prior to this, there were some barriers to the use of defibrillators in schools. In an article by The Express, it was found that 42% of people found the cost of a defibrillator to be too high to consider getting one, with 62% of people not knowing how to use one. Adding defibrillators to a school means that the issue of cost isn’t an issue for schools, providing access for young people. This also increases the chance of people receiving training, with schools having the opportunity to show students the defibrillator and offer simple guidance.

The majority of defibrillators feature instructions on the side and are primarily automated. This makes them simple to use whenever necessary and means that minimal training is required to prepare people for the use of this life-saving device. Schools adding defibrillators to their premises means that they become safer places for staff and students alike and can prevent tragedies such as that of Oliver King.

Dave Edwards founder of Resuscitation Consultancy Medical Services (RCMS) who are specialists in emergency life support training said: “This is a historic occasion that will be embraced by students, parents, and educators across the nation.”

“Defibrillators save lives, and I am confident that more lives will be saved as a result of this development.”

Dave Edwards
RCMS Ltd
+44 333 012 2999
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