Join us in building a heart-healthy community

This National Heart Month, help keep hearts beating by learning to use our borough’s lifesaving heart defibrillators, accessing free CPR training, and taking control of your heart health through local preventative checks and healthy lifestyle support.

Local defibrillators and CPR training 

In London, more than 4,200 cardiac arrests happen out of hospital every year. This is a medical emergency when someone’s heart stops beating, and every second matters.

According to the UK Resuscitation Council and British Heart Foundation, fewer than 1 in 10 people survive cardiac arrest outside of hospital. A big contributor to this is not being able to provide defibrillation within a critical time period.

A defibrillator is an easy-to-use, portable device that guides cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), assesses heart rhythms and can deliver a controlled electric shock to the chest safely. It tries to get the heart to beat normally again when someone has had a cardiac arrest, which can be hugely important while you wait for emergency services to arrive.

In Richmond upon Thames, many venues provide 24/7 public access to defibrillators, including places like railway stations, schools, places of worship, and some community centres and shops. Find your nearest defibrillator.

Anyone can use a defibrillator - once you turn it on, it will give clear step-by-step voice instructions, and many also have images showing how to use it. Find out how to use a defibrillator.

Communities and organisations who want extra support can also access defibrillator training through the London Ambulance Service. 

Apart from using a defibrillator, giving CPR can also increase a person’s chance of survival. CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure performed when the heart stops beating, to keep it pumping blood and sending oxygen to the brain until emergency help arrives. Find out how to do CPR.

NHS Health Checks and healthy lifestyle support 

Many instances of cardiac arrest - and other common conditions like stroke and dementia - happen because of an underlying heart condition. If you’re aged 40 or over, take control of your heart health by booking a free, 20-minute NHS Health Check with a local GP or pharmacist. This can help to detect early signs of common heart-related problems before they become a bigger issue.

Simple, healthy lifestyle changes of all kinds also go a long way to keeping your heart healthy and managing risks, such as eating a balanced diet, being physically active, keeping a healthy weight, and stopping smoking. Find out more about tailored local resources available to suit your specific needs, including our Richmond Moves physical activity campaign and Richmond Stop Smoking Service.