Each year, October 16th marks Restart a Heart Day – a day set aside to raise awareness around Sudden Cardiac Arrest and increase survival rates through education on Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and the use of a defibrillator.
Almost 100,000 people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA) each year in the UK, many of these deaths could be prevented with timely intervention from a bystander. CPR needs to be commenced and a defibrillator used within minutes to prevent permanent brain damage and death.
What is Sudden Cardiac Arrest?
Sudden Cardiac Arrest refers to the sudden cessation of an effective heart rhythm, usually due to an arrhythmia. Someone suffering SCA will fall unconscious quickly, will not be breathing normally or have a pulse – and will likely die within minutes without treatment.
In 2024, less than 10% of over 96,000 Out of Hospital Cardiac Arrests resulted in the casualty surviving beyond 30 days following the arrest, according to the University of Warwick.
Why Restart a Heart Day Matters
Restart a Heart Day is about empowering everyday people with the skills and confidence to act in an emergency. While ambulances and trained paramedics provide vital care, every second counts when someone’s heart stops. A bystander who knows how to start CPR or use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can double, or even triple, a person’s chance of survival.
The challenge is that many people still feel unprepared to step in. Studies show that fear of “doing it wrong” or causing harm stops people from attempting CPR. Restart a Heart Day helps break down those barriers through free public training sessions, school visits, workplace initiatives, and awareness campaigns across the UK and Europe.
What Defib Warehouse will be doing on October 16th
To mark Restart a Heart Day 2025, the Defib Warehouse team will be working with North West Ambulance at the Trafford Centre in Manchester, where they will be educating shoppers about Sudden Cardiac Arrest, CPR, and how to use a defibrillator. We will be on site from 10am to 10pm, with the goal of educating as many people as possible in that time.
By educating the general public on how to perform CPR on a manikin, as well as the impact that knowing this life-saving skill can have, we hope to help everyone become more confident in responding to a Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
What You Can Do
On October 16th, thousands of volunteers from charities, ambulance services, and first aid trainers will be teaching lifesaving skills. You don’t need to be a healthcare professional to make a difference. By learning hands-only CPR and how to operate a defibrillator, you could one day save a colleague, a family member, or even a stranger.
Here are three simple actions you can take this Restart a Heart Day:
- Learn CPR: Attend a training session, watch a demonstration, or practice compressions on a manikin. You can view some of our training courses here.
- Know where AEDs are located: Many are installed in public spaces like train stations, gyms, supermarkets, and offices.
- Invest in a defibrillator for your home or community: Every second counts in a cardiac arrest, so having a defibrillator nearby could mean the difference between life and death. View our range of defibrillators here.
- Spread the word: Encourage friends, family, and colleagues to get involved.
Final Thought
Sudden Cardiac Arrest can happen to anyone at any time. Restart a Heart Day 2025 is a reminder that with a little knowledge and courage, each of us has the power to save a life.
