Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what research has been undertaken by his Department into the effect that an individual's knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation has on their (a) confidence and (b) efficacy in using an automated emergency defibrillator.

The Department has not funded research into the effect that an individual's knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation has on their confidence and efficacy in using an automated external defibrillator. However, Professor Gray, the National Clinical Director for heart disease in NHS England, contributed to a study, the findings of which were published last year, which suggested that improving public confidence in using public access defibrillators was probably a factor in the successful deployment of these devices. The article can be found at:

http://heart.bmj.com/content/100/8/619.full?sid=eeec7a42-ee93-4458-b5cc-ec29680245a3