South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) and the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service (IWAS) have partnered with the GoodSAM Responder app to reduce response times to life-threatening cardiac arrest calls. The first phase of the service went live across the Isle of Wight and SCAS's operating areas from Thursday 19 June 20251.
After a call is received in the 999 ambulance control room, verified volunteers registered with the app are alerted to incidents taking place within 500 metres of their location1. GoodSAM, which stands for "Good Smartphone Activated Medics", uses mobile GPS technology to notify the nearest available responder of an incident, and those responders can begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the minutes before an ambulance arrives1. SCAS states that every minute without intervention reduces the chance of survival by up to 10%1.
In this first phase, certified healthcare professionals and clinically trained individuals are able to register. The aim is to open the service to trained public volunteers from the Autumn1. The registration process includes verification of credentials and training to ensure all responders meet the required standards1. The project has been partly funded by South Central Ambulance Charity, which supports SCAS in enhancing emergency care1.
"The first phase of the service went live across the Isle of Wight and South Central Ambulance Service's operating areas from Thursday 19 June 2025"
David Hamer, Operations Manager for SCAS, said the launch was "a significant milestone in our mission to improve survival from cardiac arrest", adding that enabling trained responders to reach patients faster could "dramatically increase the chances of a positive outcome"1. Louise Walker, Head of Education and Community Response for Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Service, said "every second counts when a person is having a cardiac arrest", and that activating volunteer trained responders in the local community would help save more lives across the Island1.
Why it matters for households
For households in the Isle of Wight and the SCAS operating area, the change means that a 999 call for a suspected cardiac arrest may now also alert a nearby registered responder, who can start CPR before an ambulance crew arrives1. In this phase only certified healthcare professionals and clinically trained individuals can register; trained public volunteers are not yet able to take part, with the aim of opening registration to them from the Autumn1. SCAS says the registration process includes verification of credentials and training so that all responders meet the required standards1. Healthcare professionals and certified responders can register at goodsamapp.org1. The GoodSAM guide explains how the responder alert app works, and the first-aid hub covers related practical skills.
What happens next
SCAS says the aim is to open the service to trained public volunteers from the Autumn1. No specific date for that second phase has been reported.
GoodSAM Responder Alert App
