The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is supporting a life-saving charity campaign from the London Ambulance Service by donating 18 defibrillators for areas across London where they are needed the most. The ‘London Heart Starters’ campaign was launched in July 2024 by the London Ambulance Charity with the aim of raising funds for hundreds of additional devices.
As part of the charity campaign, they will be installed across neighbourhoods known as ‘defib deserts’ where there is little or no access to a defibrillator. Jess Burgess, Head of London Ambulance Charity, said the campaign helps to bridge the gap in health inequalities across neighbourhoods in the capital and ensure that everyone has access to one of these life-saving devices.
Last year, London Ambulance Service responded to more than 12,200 cardiac arrests across the capital. Fewer than one in 10 patients survived. The Heart Starters campaign, which was first launched in July 2024, now aims to reduce the health inequalities in some of the areas with the fewest defibrillators, which also have the high levels of deprivation, and poorer health outcomes.
Burgess said the charity is also calling on members of the public to join in the mission – “you could either take on a fundraising challenge for this great cause or become a guardian in your local community to look after these defibs so they’re ready to save someone’s life”.
The BHF funds public access defibrillators in communities most in need through the Community Defibrillator Funding Programme, which aims to give more people a better chance of surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This year, there are 400 defibrillator packages available through the programme, giving priority to the areas with the greatest need.
Sam Kennard, BHF’s Community Defibrillator Manager, said: “Every defibrillator has the power to save a life, and we’re thrilled to fund 18 defibrillators for this campaign. When someone has a cardiac arrest, every second counts.
“Timely CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival during a cardiac arrest which is why quick and easy access to a defibrillator is so crucial in all communities.
“Although we’ve made progress, there are still too many areas that lack the necessary access to a defibrillator. With this funding programme, more communities will now have access to one that can ultimately save lives.”
