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<p>The Government encourages organisations, including schools, to consider purchasing
a defibrillator as part of their first-aid equipment, particularly for places where
there are high concentrations of people.</p><p> </p><p>Automated external defibrillators
are currently available for schools and other education providers in the United Kingdom
to purchase through NHS Supply Chain at a reduced cost. These arrangements are available
to all UK schools, including academies and independent schools, sixth-form colleges,
further education institutions and early years settings (including holiday and out-of-school
providers). These arrangements have been in place since November 2014.</p><p> </p><p>The
NHS Long Term Plan states fast and effective action will help save the lives of people
suffering a cardiac arrest, and key measures include:</p><p>- a national network of
community first responders and defibrillators will help save up to 4,000 lives each
year by 2028, which will be supported by educating the general public, including young
people of school age, about how to recognise and respond to out of hospital cardiac
arrest;</p><p>- NHS England will also work with partners such as the British Heart
Foundation to harness new technology and ensure that the public and emergency services
are able to rapidly locate defibrillators in an emergency; and</p><p>- more effective
mapping of data on incidence will help direct community initiatives to areas where
they are most needed, and the British Heart Foundation-funded national Out of Hospital
Cardiac Arrest Registry, based in Warwick, will allow NHS England to track survival
rates and target unwarranted variation.</p><p> </p><p>NHS England will continue to
work closely with key partners and stakeholders, including the British Heart Foundation,
as it supports the National Health Service to deliver the commitments set out in the
NHS Long Term Plan.</p>
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