Nationwide Building Society has announced the installation of defibrillators and bleed control kits across all 605 of its UK branches, in what it describes as the largest initiative of its kind by a building society. The equipment will be in place by the end of the year, with all staff receiving training from St John Ambulance.
The move comes as research commissioned by Nationwide reveals that 87% of Britons would feel safer with life-saving equipment available locally, and 97% believe staff should be trained in life-saving first aid. Currently, fewer than one in ten people survive cardiac arrests in the UK, but survival rates can increase by up to 70% if a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes.
According to a poll of 2,000 people, 88% said life-saving equipment should be as common as fire extinguishers in public places. However, only 27% know the location of their nearest defibrillator, and 9% their nearest bleed kit. Additionally, 27% would not feel confident stopping a severe bleed, and 31% would not feel confident using a defibrillator, fearing they might worsen the situation.
Nationwide will offer 4,000 staff the chance to attend 'Heart the Community' sessions, run with St John Ambulance, to teach CPR, defibrillator use, and severe bleed treatment. The rollout follows Nationwide's commitment to keep all branches open until at least 2030, contrasting with widespread closures by other banks.
Amanda Beech, Nationwide’s director of retail services, said: 'Nationwide’s unique reach as the UK’s largest branch network gives us the ability to put life-saving equipment where it matters most - in places people already know and trust in their communities.' Professor Andrew Hartle, St John Ambulance chief medical officer, added: 'With hundreds more public access defibrillators and bleed control kits across the UK, and thousands more people confident to use them, I am confident many more lives will be saved.'
