Healthwatch Manchester have recently completed a review and produced a report on our findings in regards to the locational accuracy of Defibrillators in Manchester City Centre.
As Manchester is an area of high population density, it would be ideal if there was a proportionate number of readily accessible defibrillators located across the city, specifically in areas with high footfall such as Manchester City Centre. Therefore, it was deeply concerning to hear from a Manchester citizen regarding the difficulty they faced when attempting to locate a defibrillator earlier this year.
The citizen told Healthwatch Manchester that they had experienced difficulty in locating a defibrillator in Manchester City Centre after a fellow member of the public had collapsed whilst on their way to work. The citizen told Healthwatch Manchester:
It was traumatic for me to feel so helpless as I watched someone suffering in front of me. It really was a matter of life and death. I think nobody should have to face the same situation when they need a defibrillator.
Following this, the Healthwatch Manchester trustee board approved an investigation into the accuracy of information regarding defibrillator accessibility in Manchester City Centre.
When planning this review, Healthwatch Manchester used the information provided on the now defunct CityCo website. Initially this website stated that CityCo ran an easy-access heart defibrillator scheme in collaboration with the Northwest Ambulance Service (NWAS).
Using the location information provided on this website, Healthwatch Manchester visited 63 defibrillators in the city centre including AED, cPAD and Communication Hub/Kiosks defibrillators.
Out of the 63 defibrillator locations visited, there were 40 defibrillators in situ. Defibrillators were impossible to locate in 37% of locations.
In conclusion, despite the majority of defibrillator locations being accurate and accessible when using the no defunct CityCo website, a significant number of defibrillator locations were incorrect when using the CityCo website, now defunct. Thus, the risk through misinformation for people who require a defibrillator is high.
Thus Healthwatch Manchester recommended that there needs to be accurate, thorough and accessible information regarding defibrillator locations available to the public. This information needs to be underpinned by regulation.
Download the Report here: