Community leaders in the Cusher area of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon have been named among two parts of Northern Ireland that would most benefit from immediate access to publicly available defibrillators, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) has said.
The charity has identified the Cusher locality and the West Tyrone area of Fermanagh and Omagh as having combinations of long retrieval times for devices, relatively high population density and levels of deprivation that increase the priority for funding through BHF’s Community Defibrillator Funding Programme.
“We've made progress here in Northern Ireland but there are still some areas without any defibrillators at all, and these communities need it most.”
Why this matters locally
There are around 1,400 out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrests (OHCAs) in Northern Ireland each year, yet survival remains low: the charity notes that fewer than one in 10 people survive such incidents. Early cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and rapid use of a defibrillator can dramatically improve chances of survival — the chance of living falls by up to 10% for every minute without intervention.
In practical terms, the BHF reported average retrieval times of 19 minutes 20 seconds for West Tyrone and 9 minutes 20 seconds for the Cusher area. Those times are a key reason these areas have been prioritised for possible free device grants.
What the funding offers and local context
BHF’s community programmes have helped fund 186 defibrillators across Northern Ireland over the past 12 years, with devices now placed in every county. The current funding round is open to eligible local groups across Northern Ireland and will prioritise areas with the greatest need.
- Groups in Cusher and West Tyrone are being encouraged to apply for free community defibrillators.
- Prioritisation is based on retrieval times, population density and deprivation.
- Earlier CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chance of survival from cardiac arrest.
For residents and community organisers in Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, the announcement is a prompt to consider whether local public locations, sports clubs, churches or community centres are adequately equipped and reachable in an emergency. Those interested should check eligibility and application details with the British Heart Foundation to pursue potential funding.
| Area | Average retrieval time |
|---|---|
| West Tyrone | 19 minutes 20 seconds |
| Cusher (Armagh City, Banbridge & Craigavon) | 9 minutes 20 seconds |
The identification of these two areas underlines persistent gaps in provision despite progress across Northern Ireland. For people living or active in the Cusher area, securing a community defibrillator could meaningfully alter outcomes should a cardiac arrest occur nearby.
