Every neighbourhood to have easy access to a life-saving defibrillator as Mayor supports London Ambulance Service campaign

• Sadiq is providing £150,000 to help the London Heart Starters Campaign reach its fundraising target and provide defibrillators where they are needed most.
• London Ambulance Service will install 200 new life-saving defibrillators across 85 neighbourhoods that don’t yet have an easily accessible defibrillator.
• Survival rates from cardiac arrests more than double if a defibrillator is used within 3-5 minutes.
• TfL is providing a further 44 defibrillators to homeless shelters across the capital.

 The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has today announced £150,000 of funding to help the London Ambulance Service install 200 new defibrillators across neighbourhoods in the capital – ensuring that every community will have easy access to these life-saving devices.

The Mayor’s funding will help ensure the London Heart Starters Campaign can reach its fundraising target of £400,000 and deliver defibrillators to communities where they are needed most.

 

Currently there are 84 neighbourhoods in London with no easy access to defibrillators, also known as ‘defibrillator deserts’^[1]. Thirteen of these areas do not have a single defibrillator, while 71 neighbourhoods have limited access to a device.

 

The London Ambulance Charity launched the London Heart Starters Campaign in the summer of 2024 and raised more than half its target in the first year of the campaign. The Mayor’s funding means the campaign goal of 200 new defibrillators has been met and they will now be installed across the capital, including in community centres, residential buildings, places of worship and shopping centres.

 

Community organisations in areas identified as defibrillator deserts are now being encouraged to step forward to host them^[2], with the aim of having all new defibrillators installed within the next two years.

 

Last year, the London Ambulance Service responded to more than 12,200 cardiac arrests across the capital^[3]. When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every minute that goes by without life saving intervention such as CPR or defibrillation decreases their chances of survival. Use of a defibrillator within three to five minutes more than doubles a person’s chance of survival.^[4]

 

The Mayor, Transport for London (TfL) and the London Ambulance Service have already rolled out life-saving public access defibrillators to all London Underground stations, Overground stations and Dial-a-Ride vehicles. TfL has now teamed up with the London Ambulance Service to donate 44 defibrillators to homeless shelters across the capital.

 

People who are homeless are almost twice as likely to have pre-existing cardiovascular diseases compared to other adults^[5], which is why life-saving devices are being provided to charities who are looking after some of the most vulnerable in our society.

 

The Mayor and the London Ambulance Service are calling on Londoners to learn how to use this life-saving equipment. A video on City Hall’s website shows you how to perform CPR and use the defibrillator, using techniques from the London Ambulance Service London Lifesaver training. The Mayor trained as a London Lifesaver in 2022, where he learned to how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator, as well as other basic life support skills. The London Lifesavers Campaign is aiming to create a generation of life-savers by providing free CPR and defibrillator training to Londoners.

 

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts. That’s why I’m proud to be partnering with the London Ambulance Service and helping to fund 200 new defibrillators. This will help to ensure that every neighbourhood in our city has better access to this life-saving equipment.

 

“With more defibrillators set to be installed around our capital, it’s also important that everyone learns how to use these devices. That’s why I am urging Londoners to watch our short training video on how to apply CPR and use a defibrillator, so we all know how to step in and assist in an emergency.

 

“With the right equipment and the right knowledge, we can make London a city where everyone can actively help in an emergency, as we continue building a safer London for everyone."

 

Jason Killens, Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service, said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Mayor for this generous donation and to everyone who has supported our Heart Starters Campaign – you are making a difference to the lives of Londoners.

 

“Defibrillators are safe and simple to use and the more we install in public places, the more lives will be saved. Be a guardian in your community and look after your local defib so it’s ready whenever it might be needed. It shouldn’t matter where in London you live - everyone deserves the best chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.”

Lilli Matson, TfL’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer said: “We are absolutely delighted to continue working in partnership with the Mayor and our colleagues in the London Ambulance Service to supporting this vital life-saving initiative .

“Our first-aid trained staff at stations have access to defibrillators for when customers across the Tube and Overground need them. We know every second counts when saving a life, so we are pleased to be also be able to donate defibrillators to homeless shelters as part of this important cause.”

Sam Kennard, Senior Defibrillator Manager at the British Heart Foundation said: "Placing more defibrillators in areas most in need is a vital step forward in tackling the devastating impact of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, which claim tens of thousands of lives every year in the UK. 

"Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of survival by up to 10%, so ensuring these lifesaving devices are accessible in public spaces is crucial. We urge Londoners to learn CPR through our free digital tool, RevivR and register any local defibrillators on The Circuit - the UK’s national defibrillator network. This ensures emergency services can locate and direct bystanders to the nearest device when every second counts.

"Together, through education, accessibility and community action, we can create a city where more lives are saved and fewer families are left grieving.”

Natasha Irons MP, Croydon East, said: “I welcome this move from the Mayor of London to help the London Ambulance Service reach their funding goal, giving every community better access to life-saving defibrillators. This is a brilliant opportunity for community groups in Addiscombe – one of the areas identified as a defibrillator desert - and across Croydon to step forward and host one. By doing so, you could save a life.”

London Councils’ Executive Member for Health, and the Leader of the London Borough of Hounslow, Shantanu Rajawat, said: “No life should be lost because a defibrillator wasn’t close enough when it was needed. By stepping forward to host these life-saving devices, our community venues and public spaces can make a real difference. I’m calling on organisations in my own borough of Hounslow and across London to play their part in helping every neighbourhood become a place where immediate help and hope are always within reach.”

CEO at Evolve Housing + Support, Pat Brandum, said: “We are deeply grateful to Transport for London and London Ambulance Service and the Mayor of London for the donation of defibrillators to all Evolve Housing + Support homelessness services across London. 

"With around half our residents living with high blood pressure, a major risk for cardiac arrest, these defibrillators are not just equipment, they are lifelines - and we're incredibly grateful that they will help make our locations safer, and our staff and the surrounding community better prepared in an emergency."