Norfolk and Suffolk defibrillator volunteer warns hidden devices could cost lives
The British Heart Foundation (BHF) launches a nationwide campaign to register 125,000 defibrillators by the end of 2026
A woman who has helped install hundreds of public defibrillators across Norfolk and Suffolk is urging communities to make sure life-saving devices are registered, warning that unregistered equipment could remain invisible during a 999 emergency.
The appeal comes as the British Heart Foundation (BHF) launches a nationwide campaign to register 125,000 defibrillators on The Circuit – the UK's national defibrillator network – by the end of 2026.
The charity says there are more than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests across the UK every year, with fewer than one in 10 people surviving. It says prompt CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival.
Among the ten "most unusual" defibrillator locations highlighted by the BHF are two looked after by Jayne Biggs, founder of Heart to Heart Norfolk, who oversees around 180 registered defibrillators across Norfolk and Suffolk. One sits at Britain's most easterly point near Ness Point in Lowestoft, while another is located beside the river in Great Yarmouth.
Ms Biggs said registering defibrillators was just as important as installing them.
"There's still people, believe it or not, who do not register them," she said.
"They put them out there and then if 999 was called, no one would be sent to them."
She explained that once a defibrillator is registered on The Circuit, ambulance control rooms can direct callers to its exact location during an emergency.
"So when 999 is called... they'll look on the map and then they'll send you to that cabinet," she said.
Daughter's cardiac arrest inspired campaign
Ms Biggs said her determination to improve access to defibrillators began after her daughter, Violet, suffered a cardiac arrest at home in 2013.
She and her husband performed CPR for seven minutes before paramedics arrived and used a defibrillator to restart her heart.
Violet was later diagnosed with Long QT Syndrome, a heart rhythm condition which can cause sudden cardiac arrest.
"It was the CPR that kept her going until the defibrillator came along," Ms Biggs said.
Three years later, she began installing public-access defibrillators after identifying Lowestoft as one of the areas with the fewest devices available.
She now says she is preparing to install her 500th public-access defibrillator within the next few weeks.
'They're needed so much more'
Ms Biggs said demand for defibrillators had increased significantly in recent years.
She said one device installed in Lowestoft on a Friday was deployed in a 999 emergency just two days later.
"Just this weekend alone, I had four go out," she said.
"I have them go out every single day because they are needed so much more."
She believes communities should have more devices rather than relying on a single nearby unit.
"If that one's left the cabinet, then how far are you going to have to go for the other one?" she said.
Ms Biggs also stressed that maintaining defibrillators was just as important as installing them, saying guardians should regularly check cabinets, replace expired pads and return devices promptly after use.
British Heart Foundation appeal
The BHF says there are currently just under 123,000 defibrillators registered on The Circuit and is encouraging anyone responsible for a device to check it is listed.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: "We're so close to getting a truly nationwide picture of where defibrillators are located on The Circuit, but there are still thousands missing from it.
"This means the devices are not visible to ambulance services in an emergency, when seconds count.
"Please help us find these hidden devices. It's easy to register, and it could save a life."
The BHF says registering a defibrillator ensures ambulance services can direct callers to the nearest available device when every second counts.