Restart A Heart – your chance to learn life-saving defibrillator skills

A cardiac arrest is the ultimate medical emergency, where the heart suddenly stops beating. The survival rate outside of a hospital is roughly one in ten, and early defibrillation within 3 to 5 minutes of collapse can increase survival rates by up to 70 per cent.

Restart A Heart (RSAH) - a Resuscitation Council UK initiative - began this week and continues throughout the month.

This year the campaign is focussing on defibrillation awareness and access to this life-saving device.

In 2021, Portsmouth became the first city in the south of England to host a Restart a Heart Day with an event on Commercial Road, where passers-by could practise CPR on manikins.

This year, University of Portsmouth staff and students are working alongside Portsmouth City Council, the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust and St John Ambulance to host another RSAH event.

Organiser Rob Isherwood, course lead for Paramedic Science at the UoP, said: “With 80 per cent of cardiac arrests happening in the home, it is vital that as many people as possible learn this life-saving skill.

“It’s crucial to begin CPR and defibrillation as soon as possible to help their chances of survival. We want you to come along and learn these skills.”

Recent data reveals that 61 per cent of people aren’t confident enough to use a defibrillator, and research shows that access to one is lacking in the most deprived areas, which are among the communities at greatest risk of a cardiac arrest.

James Cant, CEO at Resuscitation Council UK, said: “Publicly available defibrillators are designed to be used by anyone. You don’t need training - it will provide clear instructions and talk you through what you need to do.

”Defibrillators are disproportionately placed in affluent areas; we need to change this and ensure they are located where the need is greatest.

"Anyone looking after a defib – such as those in charge of pubs, sports clubs, community centres, churches, village halls – should make it accessible to the public 24/7.”

RSAH events, both in person and online, will take place across the UK in schools, communities and workplaces, to increase the number of people trained in CPR and defibrillation awareness.

The Portsmouth RSAH event will be held at the Guildhall this Wednesday (October 18) between 11am and 3pm.

Cllr Matthew Winnington, Cabinet Member for Community Wellbeing, Health & Care at PCC, added: "Restart a Heart is a fantastic initiative and we hope to see lots of people come along to Guildhall Square.

"We are fortunate to have public-access defibrillators dotted around the city. By increasing the number of people who are confident in using them, we can potentially save many lives."