Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of availability of automated external defibrillators to police officers attending suspected cardiac arrests.

The Home Office recognises the important role police officers can play when they are first on the scene of a medical emergency, including suspected cardiac arrests. Police officers are trained to provide emergency first aid and CPR until specialist medical assistance arrives. However, the procurement and deployment of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for police vehicles is an operational matter for individual chief officers and police forces.

The Department is aware that the availability of AEDs varies between forces and that there is currently no central source of data on the number of defibrillators carried in police vehicles. The Home Office has therefore been reviewing current provision across forces and engaging with policing partners to better understand existing arrangements, operational benefits and implementation considerations.

Any assessment of wider deployment must consider factors including operational need, vehicle type, officer training, maintenance requirements and costs. Further work with policing, health and other emergency service partners is being undertaken to inform future policy considerations.