On 26th February 2026, First Minister John Swinney anncounced an investment of £2.5 million towards Cardiac Arrest REscue zones (CAREzones) and placement of defibrillators.
This grant will support Save a Life for Scotland’s partners to ensure communities are well equipped to respond to the ultimate emergency which is out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). The grant will enable the focus on areas of greatest need, equipping schools and communities with lifesaving CPR skills and publicly accessible defibrillators.
First Minister visited the Save a Life for Scotland team at The University of Edinburgh. Mr Swinney met with partners and professionals dedicated to improving OHCA survival rates across Scotland, including the Scottish Ambulance Service staff, British Heart Foundation and DH9 Foundation, as well as John Sinclair who recently survived an OHCA thanks to a GoodSAM app responder.
Mr Swinney said:
“Surviving a cardiac arrest often depends on what happens in the minutes before an ambulance arrives. That is why we are investing £2.5 million to deliver more defibrillators into communities, strengthen local response networks and ensure more people have the skills and confidence to act.
“Survival rates following out-of-hospital cardiac arrest have increased since 2015 thanks to the work of Save a Life partners in training more than one million people in CPR skills and improving defibrillation rates. We can and must, however, do more – and this investment will deliver targeted support in the areas that need it most.
“We will work towards ensuring there is a defibrillator within reach of every incident, using evidence to identify the best locations and modes of delivery. We are determined to build a Scotland where everyone, regardless of where they live, has the best possible chance of surviving a cardiac arrest and can live healthier, longer lives.”
Chair of Save a Life for Scotland Dr Gareth Clegg said:
“This £2.5 million investment is a transformative step for communities across Scotland.
“By expanding access to defibrillators in the places they are most needed, we are giving many more people the chance to survive cardiac arrest and return home to their families.
“This funding will allow the University of Edinburgh to work in close partnership with the Scottish Ambulance Service, councils, emergency services, schools and third-sector organisations to ensure defibrillators are not only more numerous, but more equitably and strategically deployed in communities that are ready to use them.”
