Sudden Cardiac Arrest is among the biggest killers in the UK, taking the lives of almost 100,000 people every year. Sadly less than 1 in 10 people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive, the moments following a cardiac arrest are vital to give the best chance at survival.

The only way of treating cardiac arrest is using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), a small device which delivers a shock to the heart in an attempt to restore a normal rhythm.

October 16th is Restart a Heart Day, dedicated to raising awareness around cardiac arrest and supporting people to learn Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR).

In the UK around 60,000 people a year suffer a Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), currently 90-95% of people who suffer an SCA will die. The only way this figure can be improved is by widespread education on CPR and the use of defibrillators.

While you may assume that cardiac arrests are reserved for older people, this simply isn’t the case. Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) is a leading cause of death among people under 30 in the UK, including school children.

An estimated 270 children die every year in the UK from SCA, emphasising the need for awareness and equipment to be present in all schools.

Defibrillators can now be seen in most bars, restaurants, leisure centres and parks, but without any prior knowledge of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), people may walk by these life-saving devices without even realising what they are.

The UK has more than 80,000 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) which are available to the public, while this number might sound high - the nearest defibrillator to any address on average is a 19 minute walk from any given postcode in the UK.