Do you know where your nearest defibrillator is?

A recent survey found that over half of people in Ayrshire do not know the location of their closest life-saving machine.

That is why anyone who is in charge of a defibrillator is being urged to register it on ‘The Circuit’, which is a website with the location of the machines all in one place.

It is estimated that there are tens of thousands of defibrillators across the UK which are still to be registered on the new system.

A campaign by the British Heart Foundation, the Resuscitation Council UK and the Scottish Ambulance Service aims to have the UK’s first ever defibrillator network.

It will integrate with ambulance dispatch centres to direct bystanders to the nearest defibrillator in a case of cardiac arrest. Currently the life saving devices are only used in one out of 10 incidences of cardiac arrest.

Dr Philippa Whitford MP is backing the plea for registration. and said: “This is a hugely important initiative which could help to save thousands of lives and I urge everyone who is responsible for a defibrillator to register it on The Circuit.

“Defibrillators can be lifesaving but people need to know where they are, which is why it is vital that as many as possible of the ‘missing’ devices are registered on the database.”

Ayr MSP Siobhian Brown backed up this sentiment, adding: “The clock starts ticking the second someone has a cardiac arrest. The facts tell us that only 1 in 10 people survive that out with a hospital situation. We also know that CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.

“I’m appealing to everyone across Ayr, Prestwick and Troon if you or your organisation has a defibrillator please make sure the ambulance service knows about it.

“Putting it on this register could be the difference between life and death for someone we love.”