Public access defibrillators are a common sight throughout public spaces in the UK. They exist to provide immediate, life-saving, defibrillation in the event of a person experiencing cardiac arrest.

You may have noticed that some of the cabinets that house defibrillators require a code to unlock them, whereas others don’t. Read on to find out why DSAA’s cabinets are unlocked.

Cardiac arrest & defibrillation

When a person has a cardiac arrest, their survival depends heavily on the quick action of those nearby to execute the steps outlined below in the ‘Chain of Survival’.

Currently, not everyone experiencing a cardiac arrest gets immediate CPR and defibrillation. However, if both treatments are delivered together, we can double the rate of survival.

Why are DSAA’s defibrillator cabinets unlocked?

To understand why we provide our cabinets unlocked, it is important to look at step 3 in the chain of survival: early defibrillation.

Resuscitation Council UK states that:

Studies have shown that a shock given within three minutes of cardiac arrest provides the best chance of survival and that even one minute of further delay reduces that chance substantially.

Essentially, when it comes to defibrillation, every second counts.

When a cabinet is locked, it requires a code to be provided by 999 to be opened. This takes up valuable time - time that your patient cannot afford to lose.Resuscitation Council UK also notes that not only do patient safety incidents reported to the NHS indicate that these delays do exist, but also that some defibrillators have even been inaccessible in times of need due to unavailable or incorrect codes.

Following a cardiac arrest, the priority is to apply a defibrillator to the patient with the absolute minimum delay to give the best chance of survival. Only unlocked cabinets allow for quick and easy access to life-saving defibrillators. 

The ultimate goal of our charity, and our Life Support Program, is to save lives and unlocked cabinets help us do this.

What about vandalism or theft?

• Current experience shows that theft and vandalism are uncommon in unlocked cabinets.
• Data from the UK’s National Defibrillator Database (The Circuit) suggests there is no evidence that locked cabinets are less likely to be stolen or vandalised.

For answers to more frequently asked questions click the button below.

Defibrillator FAQ's

Get involved 

From CPR and Defibrillator Awareness Sessions to Defibrillator Purchase Packages, our Life Support program has got you covered. Find out more below.