Defibrillators installed along A417 in Gloucestershire

GWAAC provided CPR training at the launch of a new defibrillator in Cowley

Four new defibrillators have been installed along a busy A-road.

The medical devices have been rolled out along the A417 in Gloucestershire.

The equipment and training for local communities to learn how to use them has been provided through more than £9,300 in funding from National Highways' social value fund.

By improving access to potentially life-saving defibrillators, it is hoped that the number of avoidable deaths from cardiac arrests can be reduced.

According to the British Heart Foundation (BHF), 30,000 people suffer an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK every year, with only 1 in 10 surviving.

When CPR is combined with the use of a defibrillator, the survival rate increases by up to 70%, said the BHF.

Louise Polledri (left) lost her 24-year-old son, Sam, to cardiac arrest

The defibrillators have been donated in memory of Sam Polledri, who died after suffering a cardiac arrest in Bristol in 2022.

There were five defibrillators in close-proximity to where the 24-year-old collapsed, but none of them were accessible to members of the public.

His mother, Louise Polledri, has previously said that more outdoor defibrillators were needed to save lives.

Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) is called to more cardiac arrests than any other incident.

Reduce avoidable deaths

Lisa Warrington, defibrillator coordinator at GWAAC, said: "Our public access defibrillator campaign is helping to reduce avoidable deaths.

"We want anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest to receive immediate CPR and then defibrillation within five minutes.

"These four new defibrillators will give local people the best chance on their worst day, and we can't thank Kier Highways and National Highways enough for making this happen."

Will Barker, assistant project manager on the A417 Missing Link road project, said: "We've always built value into every aspect of our network.

"From economic prosperity to preserving natural habitats, we know how important it is that we make a positive difference to the communities and the environment where we work.

"That's why we're delighted to be able to offer this genuinely life-saving equipment that can have such a profound impact on the local community and those who need it."