In the United Kingdom, defibrillators play a crucial role in saving lives during cardiac emergencies. The presence of defibrillators in public spaces and workplaces can significantly improve the chances of survival for individuals experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. Though these life-saving devices are increasingly prevalent, the question of their legal requirements and regulations remains a topic of interest and concern for many.
There is currently no general legal requirement to have a defibrillator in most UK workplaces or public spaces, with no mandatory regulation requiring the provision of an automated external defibrillator (AED) in those settings. That includes schools. It is a common misconception that schools in England are legally required to have an AED. They are not. The Department for Education ran a funded rollout that put a defibrillator into every state-funded school in England, and its own guidance encourages schools and colleges to buy an AED as part of their first aid equipment, but that is funded provision and non-statutory guidance rather than legislation. The government has also raised awareness and improved access in other ways, including a £1 million community defibrillator fund announced in December 2022.
Employers are encouraged to have defibrillators in the workplace as proper first aid equipment, although there are no specific legal requirements for them to do so. Nevertheless, official guidelines suggest that businesses and organisations should evaluate their on-site risks and requirements to decide whether installing an AED would be beneficial. Consequently, the UK encourages the presence of defibrillators, even in the absence of explicit legal requirements.
Last reviewed: September 2026 — checked against Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2025.
Legal Framework
In the United Kingdom, there is currently no legal obligation for workplaces or public spaces to have an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) on site. There is no statutory exception, including for schools. Where an AED is appropriate, the duty comes indirectly, through the first-aid needs assessment an employer has to carry out under the Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations 1981 and the guidance in HSE’s L74. If your assessment concludes an AED is needed, providing one becomes part of meeting that duty; the law does not name the device.
Although there is no legal requirement to have a defibrillator in many locations, it is important to note that there is no legal obligation for individuals to help a person in need of resuscitation, provided they were not the cause of the person needing help.
A Defibrillators (Availability) Bill was introduced as a Ten Minute Rule Bill in the 2017-19 parliamentary session (first reading 19 December 2018). It did not progress beyond its first reading and did not become law.
A later attempt, the Automated External Defibrillators (Public Access) Bill, was a Private Member’s Bill that would have required AEDs in public buildings, sporting facilities, education settings and premises caring for vulnerable people. It also did not complete its passage and is no longer before Parliament. In May 2025 the Department of Health and Social Care said it had no plans to undertake further work on improving AED access.
So as of September 2026 there is no general legislation mandating defibrillators across UK public spaces, and none in prospect. As a matter of best practice (not law), an employer’s first-aid needs assessment may identify an AED as appropriate, and the British Standard for workplace first aid kits, BS 8599-1:2019, sits alongside that as guidance on first aid provision.
Lastly, for employers and organisations willing to provide AEDs at their premises, although it is not a legal requirement, they should comply with certain regulations to ensure adequate and appropriate first aid equipment and facilities are available.
Workplace Requirements
In the UK, there is currently no specific legal requirement for employers to provide a defibrillator (AED) in the workplace. However, employers are required to complete a first aid risk assessment, which should include considerations for first aid equipment and facilities, as stated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
When the first aid risk assessment indicates that a first-aider is not necessary, a minimum requirement is to appoint a person responsible for first aid arrangements. Their role includes looking after first aid equipment, maintaining facilities, and calling emergency services when necessary. This appointed person could also be responsible for AED if one is provided by the employer.
Schools in England are often described as an exception. They are not a legal exception, but they are a practical one. Following a government rollout, all state-funded schools in England now have at least one defibrillator on their premises: the Department for Education confirmed completion on 25 July 2023, with more than 20,000 devices delivered to almost 18,000 schools under a £19 million programme, and larger schools receiving more than one so devices could be placed near higher-risk areas such as sports halls. DfE guidance continues to encourage schools and colleges to buy an AED as part of their first aid equipment and has arranged reduced-cost purchasing to help them do it.
Once you have an AED at work it is work equipment, so the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) apply. In practice that means keeping it suitable for use, maintained in efficient working order and in good repair, and making sure anyone who may need to use it has the information and instruction to do so.
Employers are encouraged to consider providing an AED as part of their first aid risk assessment. Including a defibrillator in the workplace can help save lives in the event of sudden cardiac arrest. In addition to the AED, it is recommended that workplaces offer employees awareness training in the use of automated external defibrillators to ensure proper functioning and support during emergencies.
Public Access Defibrillators
Public Access Defibrillators (PADs) play a crucial role in improving survival rates for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) victims. These devices are designed to be used by the general public in emergency situations, even by those without formal training in their use. In the UK, there are several legal requirements and guidelines surrounding the provision and use of PADs.
An AED is a medical device, so it is regulated by the MHRA under the Medical Devices Regulations 2002. Since Brexit the marking has changed. In Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) the UKCA mark is the product marking for medical devices; CE marking is not simply the GB standard any more, although CE marked devices continue to be recognised in GB under MHRA transitional arrangements, so check the current MHRA position before you buy. In Northern Ireland the UKCA mark is not recognised at all and a CE or CE UKNI mark is required. Whichever market you are in, buy from a reputable supplier and keep the documentation.
The Resuscitation Council UK is the authority to follow on how AEDs should be used and how liability works in the UK.
In addition to device standards, PAD placement and accessibility are essential factors to consider. Organisations and initiatives aiming to implement PAD programs, including those raising funds for defibrillators through community and workplace strategies, should follow UK guidance from the Resuscitation Council UK and the British Heart Foundation rather than American placement guidance, which is written for a different emergency system. The consistent advice is to site a PAD somewhere highly visible and accessible, ideally available 24 hours a day, with clear signage so a bystander can find it fast.
There is one more step that owners routinely miss. Register the device on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network set up by NHS ambulance services, the British Heart Foundation, Resuscitation Council UK and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. Registration is not a legal duty, but an unregistered defibrillator is invisible to the 999 call handler, who cannot direct a caller to a device the ambulance service does not know about. Keep the entry up to date, including access codes and availability hours.
PAD providers must also ensure that their devices are regularly maintained and inspected. This includes checking battery life, pad expiration dates, and the overall functionality of the AED. Establishing a clear maintenance schedule and assigning responsible individuals to oversee inspections can contribute significantly to the success of a PAD program.
Lastly, it is essential to raise awareness and educate the public about PADs and their use. This can include offering CPR and AED training sessions, distributing educational materials, and partnering with local organisations to promote the importance of early defibrillation.
Training and Maintenance
There is no legal requirement to be trained before using a defibrillator, and it is worth being blunt about this because the myth costs lives: anyone can use an AED, and no training is needed. Resuscitation Council UK is clear that both CPR and AED use can be delivered by untrained members of the public. The machine talks the user through it, analyses the heart rhythm itself and will not deliver a shock unless one is needed.
Training still helps. It builds the confidence to act quickly and to combine defibrillation with good-quality CPR, which is what actually improves survival. Under the Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2025, call 999 for any unresponsive person before you assess their breathing, put the phone on speaker so the call handler can help, start chest compressions, and use an AED as soon as one is available. Never delay CPR or a shock because nobody present holds a certificate.
Maintaining a defibrillator is where most of the ongoing work sits. The speed of deployment is critical, so the device has to be ready every day, not just on the day it was installed. Give a named person responsibility for it, set a documented routine check (weekly is the standard most owners adopt) and keep the records. A check should cover:
- The status indicator, so you know the unit has passed its own self-test
- The condition of the device and its case
- Pad and battery expiry dates, and whether spares are in date
- That the defibrillator is still accessible, unobstructed and correctly signed
- That the entry on The Circuit is still accurate
Pads are single use and both pads and batteries carry a manufacturer expiry date. Those dates vary considerably between models, so do not work from a rule of thumb: read the expiry dates on your own device, diarise the replacements before they fall due, and service the unit in line with the manufacturer’s instructions. Resuscitation Council UK lists exactly that — using the correct equipment and keeping it well maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations — among the ways to avoid liability.
Following a thorough maintenance schedule ensures that the workplace defibrillator remains in optimal working condition and is available for immediate use in case of sudden cardiac arrest.
Liability and Good Samaritan Laws
When discussing defibrillators in the UK, it’s important to consider the legal aspects surrounding their use. This includes liability and Good Samaritan laws.
Good Samaritan laws aim to protect those who provide assistance to someone in need during an emergency, such as using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) to help a person experiencing a cardiac arrest. These laws offer a level of legal protection to individuals who act in good faith to help another person in distress. This protection helps encourage individuals to take action and potentially save lives without fear of legal repercussions in case an adverse outcome occurs despite their best efforts. The UK has no Good Samaritan statute of the American kind, but the position is not a vacuum. In England and Wales the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015 requires a court hearing a negligence claim to have regard to whether the person was acting heroically to assist someone in danger, or was acting for the benefit of society. Resuscitation Council UK also points out that the courts have always looked benevolently on people who go to the assistance of others, and that to date there has been no reported successful claim against a rescuer whose attempt to resuscitate someone resulted in harm.
Regarding liability for AED owners and users in the UK, several guidelines and legal frameworks exist to ensure proper use and management of defibrillators. AED owners, whether individuals or businesses, have a duty of care to maintain their AED properly, ensuring it is in working order and accessible for use in an emergency. Liability for AED use is limited as long as the person using the AED does so in the best interests of the victim and follows the instructions provided by the device.
Resuscitation Council UK sets out the practical way to stay on the right side of this. Act in good faith for the benefit of the person in cardiac arrest, follow the instructions from the 999 call handler, from the AED itself or from a professional at the scene, follow the guidelines published by authoritative bodies such as Resuscitation Council UK, keep any training up to date, and use the correct equipment and keep it maintained to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
In summary, as long as an individual or AED owner follows guidelines and takes reasonable steps to use a defibrillator during an emergency, they are unlikely to face legal repercussions. It is important to be aware of these liability and Good Samaritan provisions when owning or using a defibrillator in the UK context.
Conclusion
In summary, the picture in the UK is one of availability improving without the law changing. There is still no specific legal requirement anywhere in the UK to provide an Automated External Defibrillator. What has changed is coverage: every state-funded school in England now has at least one device following the Department for Education rollout completed in 2023, and thousands more have gone into community settings.
Moreover, the Defibrillators (Availability) Bill, introduced as a Ten Minute Rule Bill in the 2017-19 session (first reading 19 December 2018), did not progress beyond its first reading and did not become law, though it reflected a growing emphasis on the presence of defibrillators in public places and the promotion of adequate training in their use. The curriculum has moved on too. Health Education has been compulsory in all state-funded schools in England since September 2020, and the statutory guidance sets out that primary pupils should be taught basic first aid while secondary pupils should be taught further first aid, including how to administer CPR and the purpose of defibrillators. That is a change that has already happened, not a plan.
As society moves towards enhanced awareness and preparedness for cardiac emergencies, it is important for organisations and individuals to be both familiar and compliant with the evolving laws and guidelines surrounding AEDs. This knowledge can ultimately contribute to reducing the substantial number of lives lost to sudden cardiac arrest each year in the UK.
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