East Kilbride MSP welcomes supermarket giants' defibrillator register pledge

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A MSP has welcomed a commitment from leading supermarket chains to add life-saving defibrillators to a national register.East Kilbride MSP, Collette Stevenson, previously wrote to bosses at Sainsbury's and Morrisons, both of whom have stores in the town, asking if they have considered adding their defibrillators to the Circuit national database.

If someone has a cardiac arrest, 999 call handlers can direct bystanders to their nearest registered defibrillator to use while they wait for emergency services to arrive.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Ms Stevenson has also learned that a global battery shortage has meant a defibrillator in Morrisons in Lindsayfield has been out of operation for "several months" - although a new battery is due to be installed in the next week or so.In the UK there are more than 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests every year, but fewer than one in 10 survive.To improve survival rates, St John, the British Heart Foundation (BHF), Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK), and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), have come together to roll out The Circuit: the national defibrillator network.Morrisons say they have plans to register defibrillators with the Circuit and are currently gathering all the data we need to be able to progress this.Meanwhile, Sainsbury's, who