The Circuit

What is The Circuit?

Supported by the British Heart Foundation, St John’s Ambulance, Resuscitation Council UK and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, The Circuit is a UK wide network of defibrillators that links every ambulance service in the country in a bid to help save more lives from an out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA).

Early defibrillation and CPR can double the chances of surviving an OHCA. Through this network of defibrillators, those having a cardiac arrest, bystanders and ambulance services will all be better connected.

That’s why they need to be registered on The Circuit – the national defibrillator network. It’s connected to every Ambulance Service in the UK and allows them to direct bystanders to the nearest defibrillator to help save lives.

Although many of the Island's network of defibrillators are already registered with us at the Isle of Wight NHS Trust Ambulance Service, after Tuesday 15 June 2021 we will be fully implementing the BHF National Defibrillator Network, The Circuit. This is why it is vital that you register on The Circuit to connect all defibrillators together to provide a single national view.
 

Why is registering your defibrillator on The Circuit so important?

There are currently tens of thousands of defibrillators in public and private locations across the UK but to date they are used in less than 4% of cardiac arrests. If the Ambulance Service know where it is, it’s far more likely to be used.

Better knowledge and data about their locations could make the difference between life and death – that’s why we need you to register it on The Circuit.

It’s as simple as that.

How can I register?

It only takes a few minutes to register on The Circuit but will ensure that we can continue to direct people to your lifesaving defibrillator in an emergency.

Here’s the information you’ll need to tell us about your defibrillator to complete your registration. To save yourself time, or having to come back later, it’s good to have it all ready before you start.

• The full address and location of the defibrillator (including any extra details such as ‘on the 3^rd floor by the photocopier')
• The brand, model (usually to be found on the front) and serial number (usually on the underside)
• Days and times of when it is accessible
• Expiry date
• Confirmation that it’s displaying its ready signal when you last checked it
• Access code (if the defibrillator is kept in a locked cabinet) 

We understand it may take a little time to get all this information together. But the quicker your defibrillator is registered on The Circuit, the better the chance it has of saving someone’s life. With more clubs, sports centres, workplaces and community centres now opening up, more people might be in need of life saving help – and your defibrillator could be there for them.

For queries around The Circuit, including how to register, please contact the British Heart Foundation directly via heretohelp@bhf.org.uk or 0300 300 3322. 

For any other enquiries, then please get in touch with us at: iownt.atcors@nhs.net or telephone: (01983) 534111.