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Written question asked by Amanda Hack (Labour) on Wednesday, 25 March 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 13 April 2026. It was answered by Karin Smyth (Labour) on Monday, 13 April 2026 on behalf of the Department of Health and Social Care.


Defibrillators

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has any plans to make Defibrillators accessible with universal codes to maximise emergency availability.

Answer

There are no plans to introduce universal access codes for public-access automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Some charities which supply AEDs do so with cabinets that have a universal code, some communities choose to leave their cabinets unlocked, whereas others do not due to the risk of damage or theft. It is for local communities to determine what security arrangements are appropriate for their AEDs.

However, phoning 999 in an emergency allows access to a defibrillator if it is registered on the Circuit. Over 110,000 AEDs are now registered on The Circuit, and the Department continues to encourage voluntary installation and registration.


Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
123971
Session
2024-26
Subjects
Defibrillators
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk