How much does a defibrillator cost and how can I find my nearest one in the UK?
CHARITIES and heart attack survivors are backing plans to create a map of all defibrillators in the UK. Here's how you can find out of there is one near you - and what to do in an emergency. Defibrillator machines deliver an electric shock to restart the heart if a patient goes into cardiac arrest. The devices are portable and can be stored in any number of locations such as schools, offices and shops. Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) cost around 750 to 1,300 each. They can also be hired by some firms from around 18 a month. Experts say the quick use of an AED along with CPR gives an unresponsive person the best chance of survival. Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest, so knowing where to find a defibrillator can be the difference between life and death. The government has spent at least 2million paying for them to be installed at sports centres, GP surgeries, shopping centres and village halls. However, many people do not know they are there, some are locked away and even staff in charge of them have no idea what they are for. More than two-thirds are so poorly signed that bystanders have little or no chance of finding them in time. Research shows only three per cent of patients who go into cardiac arrest outside hospital are treated with a public-access defibrillator. It is estimated the devices could save around 7,000 lives a year. Now the British Heart Foundation, the NHS and Microsoft are working together on a 12-month project to create a map of all AED locations in the UK. Owners or "guardians" of the devices will be invited to register them online. In July 2018, Kelly Attewell told how a 999 operator advised her to get a defibrillator from a nearby community centre when her mum Liz Weston collapsed in Bristol. But when she got there she found the centre was closed. Using a defibrillator before an ambulance arrives doubles the patient's chance of survival. St John Ambulance says anyone can use an AED with no training. The machine analyses the patient's heart rhythm and uses visual or voice prompts to guide you through each step. The first aid charity has the following advice:  First, make sure someone has called an ambulance. Begin CPR until someone can bring you an AED  Switch on the AED. Follow the visual and verbal prompts until the ambulance arrives or someone with more experience takes over  Take the pads out of the sealed pack. Remove or cut through any clothing and wipe away any sweat from the chest  Remove the backing paper and attach the pads to the chest lengthways (in line with the body)  The first pad goes on the upper right side of the chest, just below the collarbone  The second pad goes on the left, just below the armpit  The AED will start checking the heart rhythm. Make sure no one is touching the patient or they may get a shock  Continue to follow the machine's prompts until help arrives  Vincent Kompany, Eden Hazard and Belgium team-mates show how to use defibrillator in medical advice video  We pay for your stories! Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.