Derry and Strabane ranks second for defibrillators per capita in NI

A NEW study has highlighted that Derry City and Strabane ranks second for councils in Northern Ireland in lowest defibrillator coverage per capita with 17.1 compared to an average of 21.34 in Northern Ireland.

Acknowledging Heart Month in February, defibshop has released their latest report, showing while the number of registered defibrillators has improved nationwide, the focus needs to expand to enhance training and confidence in using these devices.

This comes as Resuscitation Council UK reports there are now over 115,000 Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrests (OHCAs) reported to ambulance services each year.

Key highlights for Derry City and Strabane:

- Derry City and Strabane has introduced 30 compared to last year, marking a 13.20 per cent increase in provisioning.

- This now represents 17.1 defibrillators for every 10,000 residents from 15.1 last year

- Derry City and Strabane currently sits in the top five performers alongside Ards and North Down, Lisburn and Castlereagh, Antrim and Newtownabbey, Mid and East Antrim and Newry, Mourne and Down.

Kerry Fairhurst, head of marketing and eCommerce at defibshop, said: “It’s reassuring to see the continued efforts of both larger towns and smaller villages in continuing to increase defibrillator access for their residents.

"Expanding defibrillator coverage is the most effective way to enhance heart-safety in the areas where they are needed the most, alongside proactive defibrillator maintenance and training, of course.

"We thank all our local authorities and communities across the UK for their unwavering commitment to improving accessibility, supporting our mission of improving OHCA survival rates.”