The UK’s largest retailer, Tesco, is set to install defibrillators in 900 of its stores.
Statistics from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) show that more than 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital in the UK every year, but fewer than one in 10 survive. For every minute without CPR and defibrillation, a person’s chance of survival decreases by around 10 per cent.
“More people could be saved if more people had the skills and confidence to perform CPR and more defibrillators were available and accessible in public places,” BHF Head of Survival Sarah Askew said.
“We’re delighted that Tesco is supporting BHF’s ‘Nation of Lifesavers’ campaign by making public-access defibrillators available in all its larger stores. Knowing vital CPR skills and having access to a defibrillator can often be the difference between life and death.”
Tesco UK Chief Operating Officer Tony Hoggett says the initiative is another way of giving back to the community the company aims to serve.
“We know that having a defibrillator to hand can mean saving the life of someone suffering a cardiac arrest,” he said. “This initiative has the potential to make a real difference to customers and colleagues all over the country.”
