Question reference: S6W-27096
- Asked by: Dr. Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 26 April 2024 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 May 2024
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reports that defibrillators held in locked cabinets or requiring the use of an access code can slow down the response to an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and may affect the chance of survival, and what steps it has taken to encourage defibrillators to be installed in unlocked, publicly accessible places.
Answer
In order to maximise defibrillator availability, they are usually best mounted on the outside of buildings and placed in unlocked cabinets.
We accept that it is likely that locking defibrillator cabinets introduces an additional delay for bystanders attempting to retrieve a defibrillator and lowers the likelihood of successful application prior to arrival of emergency services.
It is the decision of the defibrillator guardian whether to place their device in a locked or unlocked cabinet. There is limited evidence as to whether using locked cabinets will affect the likelihood of vandalism, however, we understand that communities who fundraise to purchase and place a defibrillator wish to safeguard this important investment. The British Heart Foundation has helpful information online your-guide-to-being-a-defib-guardian.pdf (bhf.org.uk) about being a defibrillator guardian and steps individuals can take to look after their device.
If guardians do purchase a locked cabinet, it is vital to ensure that the local ambulance service knows the access code, and this can be supported by registering the defibrillator on The Circuit - the national defibrillator network .