What is Restart a Heart Month?
Every October, Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) leads Restart a Heart Month, an initiative to raise awareness of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) and help more people learn CPR and how to use a defibrillator. These events run throughout the month, with Restart a Heart Day falling on 16 October.
According to research by the University of Warwick, fewer than one in ten people survive an Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) in the UK. Many of those lives could be saved if someone nearby acts quickly.
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA)?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) happens when the heart suddenly stops pumping properly, usually because of a fault in its electrical rhythm called an arrhythmia. The person collapses, loses consciousness within seconds and stops breathing normally. Without help, their chance of survival falls with every passing minute.
SCA isn’t the same as a heart attack, and it can happen to anyone, at any age, often with no warning. The best chance of survival comes from starting CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and using a defibrillator as quickly as possible.
Why Restart a Heart Month matters
Ambulance crews do vital work, but the first few minutes before they arrive are often decisive. Restart a Heart is about giving everyday people the skills and confidence to step in during that crucial window.
Many people still hold back for fear of doing CPR incorrectly or causing harm. Restart a Heart Month helps break down those barriers with training events, community sessions and online learning, run by RCUK alongside ambulance services, universities, charities and first aid training organisations.
Resus Annie on Tour
This October, RCUK is taking the Resus Annie manikin – the iconic CPR training manikin on a tour across the UK, visiting areas with lower cardiac arrest survival rates. Along the way, the RCUK team will be demonstrating CPR, busting common myths about defibrillators and talking to the public about cardiac arrest.
You can find all tour dates on the RCUK’s Restart a Heart page.
How to get involved in Restart a Heart campaign?
Here are four simple ways to get involved this Restart a Heart Day:
- Learn CPR: Attend a local CPR training event, watch a demonstration or practise compressions on a manikin. Alternatively, you can view our training courses here to become a CPR first aider.
- Know your defib: Check where your nearest defibrillator is, make sure it’s easily accessible and ready to use. Knowing where the nearest AED is located before an emergency saves valuable time.
- Be ready to act: In a cardiac arrest, call 999, start CPR and get an AED. Talk to friends, family and colleagues about doing the same, because the more people are prepared to step in quickly, the better the chance of survival.
Having an AED close by can make a real difference in a cardiac emergency. If you’re thinking of getting one for your home, workplace or community, view our range of defibrillators here.
If you already own an AED, we recommend making it publicly accessible and getting it registered on The Circuit so ambulance services can direct callers to it during a cardiac emergency.
Final thought
Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone, at any age and at any time. The aim of Restart A Heart Month is simple: raise awareness about cardiac arrest and support more people to learn CPR, giving them the skills and confidence to act quickly in a cardiac emergency and save lives.
