17/10/2026
How do we compare to other countries for cardiac arrest survival ?
• The UK: Only 8% to 10% of people who suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survive to leave the hospital.
• Norway and the Netherlands: Survival rates are much higher, sitting around 21% to 25%.
Why the UK Lags Behind
• Bystander CPR: Immediate CPR by a bystander happens in only 40% to 50% of UK cardiac arrests. In countries like Norway, that number climbs to 73%–80%.
• Public Confidence: Only 22% of people in the UK feel confident performing CPR on a stranger.
• Defibrillator Access: Public automated external defibrillator (AED) usage remains low, and many areas suffer from "defibrillator deserts" where residents live more than a 10-minute round trip from a 24/7 device.
We have a fantastic NHS but are we prepared as individuals ?????
We are fortunate to have 5 24 hour access Public access defibrillators in Larkhall and local businesses have invested to buy their own which can be accessed during working hours.
In an emergency dial 999, give your location and they will tell you where the nearest PAD is situated with the key code if it has one.
