Screwfix has partnered with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to fit defibrillators in all its stores across the UK and Ireland, becoming the first trade retailer to roll out defibrillators on this scale.
With more than 870 stores across the UK and Ireland, Screwfix is perfectly placed to provide the lifesaving devices in the communities it serves and has worked with BHF to determine what would be best the approach to take to help save more lives.
A defibrillator is a device that gives a controlled high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. This shock is called defibrillation, and it’s an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who’s in cardiac arrest.
It’s estimated that tens of thousands of defibrillators remain unknown to ambulance services, meaning emergency services cannot direct bystanders to them in the event of a cardiac arrest.
To help tackle this, Screwfix is registering its network of defibrillators onto The Circuit: The National Defibrillator Network, which was developed by the BHF in partnership with Resuscitation Council UK, St John Ambulance, and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives.
The Circuit’s aim is to map all public access defibrillators, so that when someone has a cardiac arrest, 999 call handlers can direct bystanders to the nearest registered defibrillator while they wait for the ambulance to arrive.
Screwfix will also begin the roll out the BHF’s first-of-its-kind CPR training tool RevivR to its colleagues. RevivR is an innovative tool that teaches the user CPR and defibrillation skills in just 15 minutes.
There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK, but currently, fewer than one in ten people survive. However, immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival from a cardiac arrest.
Scott Parsons, Screwfix Operations Director, said: “We are extremely proud to join forces with The British Heart Foundation and support our local communities with the tools to help potentially save a life. We believe this roll out of defibrillators at Screwfix stores will help make a significant difference, meaning more lifesaving defibs are close to hand in the event of a cardiac arrest.”
For more information about defibrillators and The Circuit – The National Defibrillator Network please visit: www.thecircuit.uk
Picture shows from left to right: Max Britten, Managing Director at Screwfix, Scott Parsons, Operations Director at Screwfix, and Mike Taylor, Commercial Director of the British Heart Foundation, at Hege End Screwfix store.