Tesco to install defibrillators in over 900 stores
Tesco is planning to introduce defibrillators in over 900 of its largest stores as it looks to provide lifesaving support to customers and staff across the UK.
Some 729 Tesco Extra and Superstores will be fitted with defibrillators as part of the initiative, and the retailer also plans to install the equipment in all of its 178 Metro stores over the coming months.
The move comes as statistics from the British Heart Foundation show that over 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital in the UK every year, but less than one in ten survive.
Tony Hoggett, Tesco UK chief operating officer, said: “We are always looking for ways to help the communities we serve, and we know that having a defibrillator to hand can mean saving the life of someone suffering a cardiac arrest. This initiative has the potential to make a real difference to customers and colleagues all over the country.”
Sara Askew, BHF head of survival, added: “We are delighted that Tesco is supporting BHF’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign by making public access defibrillators available in all its larger stores. Knowing vital CPR skills and having access to a defibrillator can often be the difference between life and death.”
