London lifesaver

The importance of acting quickly following a cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops beating and stops pumping blood and oxygen around the body.

A cardiac arrest can happen when you least expect it, and over 70 percent of them happen outside of hospital.

Acting quickly to perform CPR (chest compressions) or to use the nearest defibrillator could make a huge difference and help increase a person’s chances of surviving.

That’s why the Mayor, the London Ambulance Service and Transport for London have partnered to increase public access to defibrillators and equip Londoners with the skills and confidence to act in an emergency.

Learn lifesaving skills

Performing CPR or using a defibrillator can help ensure the heart is pumping and the brain isn’t being starved of oxygen, until medical help arrives.

CPR is when you push down hard on the chest continuously to help the heart pump blood around the body. Meanwhile a defibrillator gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone in cardiac arrest.

Watch the video below and learn how to perform CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

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This video featuring London Ambulance Service paramedic, Alexa Barton, and Dr. Chris Van Tulleken demonstrates how to recognise the signs, and how to perform CPR or use a defibrillator to help. Learning is simple and your help, while ambulance crews arrive, can make all the difference.

London Ambulance Service also organises emergency life support training courses for communities and organisations.

Find out more about further training with London Ambulance Service

How trained Londoners are saving lives

Amber and Joel with LAS crew Eliza, Lee and Josephine. In 2021, at the age of 16, Joel suffered a cardiac arrest at Twickenham Stadium when he was saved by a. nearby defibrillator. — Joel's life was saved by CPR and a nearby defibrillator, when he collapsed in a stadium.

Gemma Pardo is pictured with a paramedic who trained her in CPR or chest compressions. She was inspired to learn the skills after her niece and was saved by her brother’s effective chest compressions when she collapsed during a run four years ago. — Gemma Pardo's niece was saved by CPR and she went on to learn the skills with London Ambulance Service.

Estelle is pictured with her father (Eddie), mother and her paramedic team. Estelle saved her father Eddie after he suffered a cardiac arrest. — Estelle was off-duty when she saved her father Eddie by performing CPR at home.

21 year old Atul meets with the NHS doctors, nurses and paramedics who helped save his life. After he suffered a cardiac arrest in school, a security guard helped keep him alive with chest compressions until help arrived. — 21 year-old Atul's was saved by CPR at Imperial College London.

59 year old Geraldo is picture with his stepdaughter Olivia, his family and the paramedic team that saved his life. He suffered a cardiac arrest in the home and was saved by his stepdaughter who performed chest compressions. — 59 year old Geraldo's life was saved by his stepdaughter Olivia with CPR.

Other things you can do to help

Buy a defibrillator

Any business or community could benefit from a public access defibrillator.

Visit the British Heart Foundation or St John Ambulance for info on where to buy one.

Register a defibrillator

Does your business or community organisation have a defibrillator?

Make sure it’s registered on The Circuit, a national defibrillator network, so emergency services can find it in an emergency.

Hone your skills

Even if you don’t have a defibrillator, CPR or chest compressions can still give someone their best chance of surviving.

If you have a phone and 15 minutes, check out BHF’s RevivR.

Join the conversation and let us know how familiar you are with CPR and using a defibrillator

Talk London

What the Mayor is doing to support London’s response

Everyone travelling in our great city deserves to feel safe and confident that they will be helped in an emergency.

Last year the London Ambulance Service reportedly responded to nearly 13,000 cardiac arrests. For every minute that goes by without life-saving intervention like CPR and defibrillation, the chances of a person surviving cardiac arrest decrease by 10 per cent. 

In October 2022, the Mayor took London Lifesaver training with the LAS, and learned these vital skills. And he believes any Londoner can make a difference in an emergency, with the right training and the right kit.

From today, every TfL Underground and Overground stations, and a number of key surface locations – such as dial-a-rides, main bus stations, interchanges and piers – will have a defibrillator that can be accessed by any Londoner who needs it.

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