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The Department of Health said the funding will go to communities across England in need of the life-saving devices, which provide a vital defence against heart attacks.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’ve heard extraordinary stories of ordinary people being kept alive thanks to the swift use of a defibrillator on the football pitch, at the gym or in their local community.
“We must make sure these life-saving devices are more accessible.”
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive at the British Heart Foundation, celebrated the news, saying: “For every minute without CPR or defibrillation, chances of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest fall by 10 per cent. We welcome this move to improve access to defibrillators in communities across England.”
Applicants will be required to either fully or partially match the funding received, something the Government said will “potentially double” the number of new defibrillators installed.
The fund will only cover the purchase of defibrillators and not their upkeep. An independent partner, yet to be chosen, will manage the grant process.
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