Your chances of surviving a heart attack are as low as one-in-five in London neighbourhoods that do not have access to defibrillators, figures show.
There are 150 areas in the capital where there are no publicly-available devices, according to latest data from the London Ambulance Service.
A defibrillator gives someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest the best chance of getting their heart going again and surviving.
But there are 21 neighbourhoods where there is no access to these devices and 129 with limited access, the London Ambulance Charity points out.
“Every second counts when someone is in cardiac arrest,” London Ambulance Service chief executive Daniel Elkeles warns. “Starting CPR and using a defibrillator can help save someone’s life.
“Our data is a sad reminder that some areas are ‘defib deserts’. Where you live or work could determine your chance of surviving a cardiac arrest.”
Households in deprived areas are more likely to be in one of the 150 ‘defib desert’ areas.
The worst borough has been revealed as Newham, with as many as 14 neighbourhoods without access to a defibrillator.
Nearby Hackney has 10 such neighbourhoods.
It is running a ‘London heart starters’ campaign to pay for and maintain the devices in the 150 ‘priority’ areas where they are needed most.
The campaign also has a ‘lifesavers’ course with free CPR and defibrillator training, which can be taken by older schoolchildren.
“But survival rates are one-in-two if a defibrillator is used before paramedics arrive.”
London has 9,400 publicly-accessible defibrillators but the latest data shows that their distribution isn’t even, with the highest levels of deprivation and poorest survival rates where there are fewer defibrillators.
“We want people regardless of where they live to have a fighting chance to survive a cardiac arrest,” Mr Faulkner added.
The ambulance charity is planning a Sunday fundraising event on September 8, with family-friendly 5k loop or a challenging 20k walk past London’s iconic landmarks.
Wellwishers can register for the ‘London Life Hike’ on the “londonambulancecharity.org.uk” website, or email londamb.lascharity@nhs.net.
NEIGHBOURHOODS IN NEED
The 150 ‘priority’ neighbourhoods without public-access defibrillators are right across 30 of the 32 London boroughs. They include:
Barking and Dagenham: six — Barking (east), Becontree (west), Becontree (east), Becontree Heath, Old Dagenham Park (and Village) and Thames View.
Barnet: eight — Golders Green (north), Oak Hill, Osidge village, West Finchley, North Hendon (Sunny Hill), Childs Hill, Grahame Park and Finchley (central).
Bexley: seven — Lesney Abbey, Lesney Farm and Colyners (east), East Wickham, Bursted Wood, Barnehurst (north), Falconwood and Longlands.
Brent: eight — Sudbury (west), Kensal Green, Kingsbury (south), Barnhill, Welsh Harp, Dudden Hill, Willesden Green and Willesden Church End.
Bromley: one — Orpington (south).
Camden: three — Belsize Park, South Hampstead and Kilburn Grange.
Croydon: five — Addiscombe (north), Thornton Heath (north-east), Upper Norwood, West Thornton (north) and University Hospital & Queen’s Road.
Ealing: 10 — Greenford (Ravenor Park), Southall (north), Acton (Noel Road and Lynton Road), St Mary’s, Chiswick (north-west), Southall Green (west), Southall (west), Whitton Avenue (west), Northolt (west) and East Acton.
Enfield: five — Turkey Street, Tatem Park, Lower Edmonton (north), Haslebury (north) and Upper Edmonton (west).
Greenwich: five — Thamesmead (Birchmere Park), Charlton (Slopes), Westcombe Park-Maze Hill, Eltham (north) and Abbey Wood (north).
Hackney: 10 — Homerton (north), Stamford Hill (west), Stamford Hill (south), Stoke Newington (north), Stoke Newington (east and Cazenove), Dalston (east), South Hackney, Clapton Leaside, Hackney Downs and Haggerston (east).
Hammersmith & Fulham: two — Wormholt Road and Fulham (Aintree).
Haringey: eight — Roundway, Noel Park, Bruce Grove (south), Tottenham (north-west), South Tottenham, Harringay (north), Tottenham Green (west) and Harringay (warehouse district).
Harrow: two — Stanmore (Uxbridge Road) and Rayners Lane (north).
Havering: four — Havering-atte-Bower & Chase Cross, Rise Park and Hylands & Elm Park (west).
Hillingdon: seven —Hillingdon Heath, Yeading (Brookside), Yeading (west), Hayes End, Hillingdon (north east), West Drayton (west) and West Drayton (east).
Hounslow: three — Heston (west), Heston (central and Lampton) and Hounslow (Meadows).
Islington: two — Highcroft-Holly Park and Canonbury (east) & Mildmay Park.
Kingston-upon-Thames: one — Norbiton (east).
Lambeth: six — Streatham Vale, Loughborough Road, Tulse Hill, Stockwell (north), Leigham Vale-Royal Circus, and West Norwood-Streatham (east).
Lewisham: three — Forest Hill (east), Further Green and Downham (east).
Merton: three — Lonesome, Pollards Hill and Rowan Road.
Newham: 14 — Beckton (north), Forest Gate (east), Forest Gate (north), Wallend (north), Little Ilford (east), West Ham Park, East Ham (south-west), East Ham (north), East Ham (west), Lonsdale Avenue, Stratford (east), Plashet (west), Wallend (south) and Plaistow (south).
Redbridge: eight — Woodford Green, Ilford (south-east), Ilford (north-east), Hainault (west), Barkingside (west), Seven Kings Park, Seven Kings (Meads Lane) and Chadwell Heath (north-west).
Southwark: one — Camberwell (south).
Sutton: two — Middleton Circle and North Cheam West.
Tower Hamlets: two — Stepney Green and Limehouse (east).
Waltham Forest: four — William Morris, Friday Hill, Leyton (north) and Leyton (east).
Wandsworth: eight—Tooting (north), Earlsfield (north), West Hill (south), York Gardens, Clapham Common (west), Furzedown (west), Furzedown (east) and Tooting (west).
Westminster: two — Queen’s Park Gardens and Maida Hill.
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