Number of defibrillators in UK cities: New data released

Do you know where your nearest public access defibrillator is? The information might just save a life.

Here at CE Safety, we have investigated how many public defibrillators there are in each region of the UK. We set out to collect the latest data from British ambulance services via Freedom of Information requests to pinpoint which cities have the most and fewest of these lifesaving machines registered in public areas. AED’s are often found in the workplace and public buildings and spaces, so it’s well worth considering aed first aid training, as well as emergency first aid at work training.

Birmingham has the most AEDs outside London

Birmingham was the city with the most automated external defibrillators (AEDs) outside of London, with 954 registered. This was followed by Belfast (616), Swansea (459), Leeds (418) and Cardiff (415).

The places with fewest are Bournemouth (10), Bristol (5), Swindon (5), St David’s (5) and Gloucester (3).

CITY	Number Of Defibs
London (whole region)	6,622
Birmingham	954
Belfast	616
Swansea	459
Leeds	418
Cardiff	415
Coventry	308
Wolverhampton	292
Newport	206
Sheffield	216
Worcester	203
Hereford	177
York	161
Stoke-on-Trent	129
Londonderry	123
Durham	121
Norwich	118
Wakefield	108
Newcastle	104
Newtownabbey	96
Hull	86
Lichfield	84
Sunderland	82
Bradford	71
Peterborough	51
Bangor	48
Chelmsford	44
Cambridge	38
St Albans	37
St Asaph	19
Ely	16
Cheltenham	15
Exeter	15
Plymouth	10
Bournemouth	10
Bristol	5
Swindon	5
St David’s	5
Gloucester	3

Number of public access defibrillators per capita in UK cities

When we look at how defibrillators are distributed according to population size, however, the results are quite different. The place with the most machines per person is Swansea. Despite only having 459 defibrillators registered, the city has 146 per 100,000 people. This is followed in the top five by Wolverhampton (292), Durham (121), Belfast (616) and Newtownabbey (96).

Although it has the most registered AEDs, London is way down the table in 12^th place, with just 69 defibrillators per 100,000 people. Other large cities were surprisingly low on the list, including Birmingham, Leeds, Newcastle and Bradford.

CITY	NO. OF PADS	PADS PER 100,000 PEOPLE
Swansea	459	146
Wolverhampton	292	130
Durham	121	121
Belfast	616	96
Newtownabbey	96	96
Hereford	177	91
Cardiff	415	86
Lichfield	84	84
Londonderry	123	82
Leeds	418	79
York	161	77
London (whole region)	6,622	69
Newport	206	65
Norwich	118	59
Bangor	48	48
Worcester	203	37
Chelmsford	44	37
St Albans	37	37
Birmingham	954	36
Stoke-on-Trent	129	33
Wakefield	108	32
Sheffield	216	29
Peterborough	51	28
Hull	86	27
Cambridge	38	26
Sunderland	82	24
Bradford	71	19
St Asaph	19	19
Ely	16	16
Newcastle	104	13
Cheltenham	15	13
Ely	16	16
Cheltenham	15	13
Exeter	15	11
St David’s	5	5
Plymouth	10	4
Bournemouth	10	3
Gloucester	3	2
Bristol	5	<1
Swindon	5	<1

Number of registered total defibrillators registered to each ambulance service

The results were slightly different when it came to numbers in the ambulance services individually, which cover whole regions rather than just cities. London’s densely populated metropolis, with an ambulance that covers a wide area, has the most by far. Following that, both East and West Midlands have a substantial number more than other UK regions. 

1. London: 6,622
2. East Midlands: 3,561
3. West Midlands: 2,147
4. Wales: 1,567
5. Yorkshire: 1,060
6. Northern Ireland: 835
7. North East: 307
8. East of England: 304

Comparisons to 2019’s findings

We conducted a similar investigation in 2019. This year’s findings show a surge in registered defibrillators across the UK, but the ranking of cities has altered. 

Swansea has added 110 public access defibrillators to its figures in the past three years, and the city is still in the lead with most machines per 100,000 people. Belfast is the only city to remain in the top five since our first research and has added an impressive 342 AEDs for public use.

London was in sixth place in 2019, and while the number of AEDs per 100,000 has increased slightly (69 this year from 61), other places have made efforts to implement more. 

Is your defibrillator on the system? 

Our investigation comes at the same time as a national database has been launched in an effort to provide one central signpost for defibrillator locations. The Circuit, which has been created by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), is a place for all newly installed AEDs to be registered, so they can be found easily in the event of a cardiac arrest emergency. 

The BHF suggests there may be tens of thousands of defibrillators out there, but if no-one knows where they are then they may be redundant when they are needed most. 

BHF Chief Executive, Dr Charmaine Griffiths, said: “The Circuit is pioneering technology which will help emergency services direct bystanders more quickly to a defibrillator when someone collapses with a cardiac arrest. But for The Circuit to save lives, it is vital that the tens of thousands of unregistered defibrillators across the UK are put on the system.”

If you are a guardian of a public access defibrillator, registering your machine is quick, easy and free of charge. Find out more here. 

How To Find Your Nearest Defibrillator

Usually, the emergency services can point you in the direction of any registered AEDs via calling 999. They are increasingly found in all public areas, such as offices, leisure centres, schools, community spaces, stations, airports and shopping centres. 

Tesco has recently become the first UK supermarket to register all of its 2,190 defibrillators to The Circuit database, and government transport departments in Wales and Northern Ireland have just implemented hundreds of new machines in bus and train stations. 

The push for greater access and awareness

There are more than 30,000 cardiac arrests every year, out of which only about one in 10 people survive. Immediate CPR and defibrillation can double a person’s chance of survival. Read our ultimate guide to AEDs to find out more about how to use a defibrillator and how it works. 

Gary Ellis, from CE Safety, said: “Quite simply, defibrillators are lifesavers. It might seem as though some cities don’t have as many AEDs as they should, but remember that these figures probably only scratch the surface.”

“While it’s positive more and more machines are being installed, having them in place is simply not enough. We all need to know where they are in the event of a cardiac emergency, so please, please get your defibrillators registered onto The Circuit, and let’s try to get these figures up.”

“It would also be advisable for as many people as possible to be trained in how to use public access defibrillators, especially in the workplace and personnel in stations and public places. The more people know about them – and how to use them – the more people will undoubtedly be saved every year. Training in using a defibrillators forms part of any First Aid at work Training Course. ”

Please note: London Ambulance Service covers the whole London area. East Midlands Ambulance Service submitted its findings as a total (3,561) without city breakdowns. We did not get a response from North West, South Central or South East Coast ambulance services to our Freedom of Information requests, so these regions have not been included in our findings. 

We could not get any totals from the Scottish Ambulance Service, however a full list of each defibrillator and their location can be found here.

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