The British Heart Foundation (BHF) published on 21 July 2025 a list of ten communities across the UK that it says do not have a defibrillator in close range, and reopened its Community Defibrillator Funding Programme for 2025. The charity said it was "urgently encouraging" eligible areas to apply.
The BHF said there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year in the UK, but fewer than one in 10 people survive. It said quick CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance of survival, and that for every minute without defibrillation and CPR, survival chances fall by 10 per cent. It reported over 110,000 defibrillators registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, but said they are not evenly distributed.
The communities named by the BHF:
| Nation | Communities named |
|---|---|
| England | Holme Hill, Grimsby; Ravensthorpe, Dewsbury; Mixenden, Halifax; Revoe, Blackpool |
| Wales | Gabalfa, Cardiff; Trevethin, Pontypool |
| Scotland | Hillhead, Kilmarnock; Broomhill, Greenock |
| Northern Ireland | Twinbrook, Dunmurry; Lagan Valley, Lisburn |
The BHF said deprived areas have higher levels of cardiovascular disease and rates of death from cardiac arrest, and often have the fewest defibrillators, partly because of the cost of equipment and installation. Successful applicants to the programme will receive a defibrillator and cabinet, with installation costs covered where required, and replacement parts free of charge when they expire or are used in an emergency for up to 10 years. Awarded devices will be registered on The Circuit so emergency services can locate them.
"We have revealed 10 of the communities across the UK that don't have a potentially lifesaving defibrillator in close range, putting people at higher risk of dying if they have a cardiac arrest."
The BHF said a defibrillator awarded through last year's scheme helped save a life within six months of installation. It identified Shipley in West Yorkshire in 2024 as having no defibrillators; the community applied and was awarded a device funded by a partnership with Royal Mail, installed at the Shipley Islamic Centre. Sam Kennard, the BHF's Community Defibrillator Manager, said the charity was "delighted to be relaunching our community defibrillator funding programme to reach the areas where we can make the most difference".
Why it matters for households
The BHF's figures set out the time pressure in a cardiac arrest: survival chances fall by 10 per cent for every minute without CPR and defibrillation. Households in the ten named communities are among those the charity describes as having no device in close range. The BHF says the cost of equipment and installation is part of why some areas have fewest defibrillators, and that awarded devices are registered on The Circuit so emergency services can find them when needed. For anyone checking what cover exists locally, the site's guide to public access defibrillators explains how to find the nearest one, and the guide to defibrillators and how to use one covers what the devices do. The BHF states that quick CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance that someone's life will be saved.
What happens next
Applications to the BHF's Community Defibrillator Funding Programme are open until February, the charity said. The BHF has not reported a closing date beyond the month, nor when awards will be made. The full list of ten communities and the application route are published on the BHF website.
Public Access Defibrillators
Defibrillators (AEDs)
