AQW 43178/22-27

Mr Danny Donnelly
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 25/03/2026
Answered On Date: 06/05/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health whether his Department has any plans to develop a strategy to improve automated external defibrillator (i) access; (ii) registration; and (iii) public awareness, as part of wider efforts to improve out of hospital cardiac arrest survival.

Answer:

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is leading on the implementation of the Community Resuscitation Strategy. Improving survival from outofhospital cardiac arrest requires a coordinated, systemwide approach focused on early recognition, early CPR and early defibrillation.

My Department, NIAS and other key partners support a range of initiatives aligned to both the NIAS Corporate Plan 2024–26 and the Making Life Better framework, which emphasise prevention, early intervention, community empowerment and reducing inequalities.

Ongoing work includes improving access to publicly accessible AED provision through partnership with communities, councils and thirdsector organisations. This includes:

Improving registration by continued promotion of The Circuit as the national platform for AED registration and engagement with AED owners to ensure devices are registered, maintained and accessible; and

Improving public awareness by delivery of community CPR and AED education programmes, including the Community of Lifesavers initiative within schools and partnership working with organisations such as the British Heart Foundation to increase public confidence and willingness to act. NIAS endorses public engagement campaigns aligned with initiatives such as Restart a Heart Day.