Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made in improving survival rates for cardiac arrests outside of hospitals; and what plans he has to increase the (a) number of public-facing public sector workers who have completed cardiac first aid training and (b) number and accessibility of defibrillators in public places.

The treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease is a priority for the Government. We want people to have the best chance of survival from cardiac arrest, and rapid intervention is central to improving outcomes.

This is why the Government has agreed to provide funding of £1 million to design a grant scheme for the expansion of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) that expands the number and accessibility of publicly supported defibrillators

NHS England have partnered with St John Ambulance to co-ordinate skills development to significantly increase the use of AEDs by individuals in community settings. This includes a national network of Community Advocates to champion the importance of first aid, training 60,000 people that will help save up to 4,000 lives each year by 2028. Many public sector organisations already provide first aid courses that include CPR and cardiac first aid training.