Worst places in the UK to have a heart stoppage identified

A charity has identified some of the UK’s “defibrillator deserts”, highlighting which places in the UK people could be least likely to get urgent help if their heart suddenly stops.

The devices give a shock to someone whose heart has stopped, also known as a cardiac arrests.

They can be found in communities across the UK – on the sides of libraries, schools or other local landmarks – which mean that people can be helped during the wait for emergency services.

Around 30,000 cardiac arrests occur in communities around the UK each year, also known as out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) said.

Less than one in 10 people survive these medical emergencies.

But the use of a defibrillator and CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) can double a person’s chances of surviving a cardiac arrest.

The BHF said that every minute without CPR and defibrillation decreases survival chances by 10%.

The BHF has highlighted 10 of the communities across the UK which do not have a potentially life-saving defibrillator close by. These are:

– Holme Hill, Grimsby, England

– Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury, England

– Mixenden, Halifax , England

– Revoe, Blackpool, England

– Gabalfa, Cardiff, Wales

– Trevethin, Pontypool, Wales

– Hillhead Kilmarnock, Scotland

– Broomhill, Greenock, Scotland

– Twinbrook, Dunmurry, Northern Ireland

– Lagan Valley, Lisburn, Northern Ireland

The charity is urging local communities which do not have defibrillators to apply for its Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.

Sam Kennard, community defibrillator manager at the BHF said: “Defibrillators save lives and make communities safer.

“Every defibrillator holds the power to help save someone’s life and is crucial in the chain of survival during a cardiac arrest.

“We’ve made progress but there are still some areas without any defibrillators at all, and these are among our most deprived communities.

“We are delighted to be relaunching our community defibrillator funding programme to reach the areas where we can make the most difference and save more lives from cardiac arrest.”

Published: 21/07/2025 by Radio NewsHub