News

Tick_stroke Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) policy briefing: Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in vehicles

Automated external defibrillators (AEDs) play a vital role in improving survival from out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest, where immediate CPR and rapid defibrillation are essential. Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) has published a new policy briefing exploring the role of AEDs in vehicles and setting out our current position.

Policy briefing

Healthcare professional talking through the ReSPECT form with a patient

Tick_stroke ReSPECT policy briefing: 2026 update

ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) supports meaningful, person-centred conversations about future emergency care. Ensuring that people’s priorities, values and goals of care are understood and respected is essential when they may not be able to express what is important to them in an emergency. 

Policy briefing

Image of a Red Defibrillator behind glass with a green label saying 'Defibrillator' on it

Tick_stroke RCUK Parliamentary Briefing: Public Access to Defibrillators 

RCUK has published a joint briefing paper with St John Ambulance and the British Heart Foundation, explaining why public access to defibrillators shortens the time ‘from collapse to first shock’ in community settings across the UK.

Policy briefing

A female healthcare professional in a navy tunic speaking to an older man in a white jumper and shirt.

Tick_stroke RCUK Policy Briefing: ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) adoption in the UK

RCUK has published a position paper setting out the importance of the ReSPECT process in emergency care and treatment planning, and RCUK’s key recommendations on ReSPECT for the four nations.

Policy briefing