The region's ambulance service is urging schools to check that their defibrillators are registered and accessible.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) is supporting a national campaign to ensure defibrillators are listed on The Circuit, the UK-wide defibrillator network used by emergency services to direct 999 callers to the nearest device during a cardiac arrest.

More than 16,000 schools have already registered their defibrillator on The Circuit.

Some defibrillators are accessible 24/7, but some are only accessible during certain times and days of the week when the school is open.

Read more

Schools are being urged to make sure their defibrillators are listed on The Circuit. (Image: The Circuit) David Hamer, operations manager at SCAS, said: "It’s absolutely vital that every defibrillator is registered on The Circuit.

"When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts and having accurate, up-to-date information allows emergency services to direct bystanders to the nearest available defib without delay."

He continued: "We urge all schools and organisations to check their defib is registered, accessible and ready to use – especially ahead of the summer break if the school summer holidays will mean access to the defibrillator will change."

In the South Central region, more than 7,600 defibrillators are registered on The Circuit.

In 2025, SCAS has already deployed these devices 279 times.

Schools and organisations can check their registration status on the Defib Finder website.

Registration can be completed online on The Circuit website.