Faulty and inaccessible defibrillators linked to dozens of deaths

On a Saturday afternoon in early November last year, the members of Beauchief Tennis Club in Sheffield were taking part in their annual winter league.

- Catherine Neilan & Freya Shaw

Russell Paul Hudgell was shaking off a chest infection but still playing a blinder of a doubles game. As his playing partner walked to the baseline to serve, he heard a noise and turned round to find Hudgell on the ground.

A trained St John Ambulance first aider and another attendee who was a doctor sprang into action, administering CPR and calling 999. But when they went to use the club’s defibrillator, they found that it had insufficient battery. One of them later said: “I knew we were in a load of trouble then.” Hudgell died at the scene, aged 56.

At the inquest, which concluded last month, coroner Tanyka Rawden said: “It is likely that Russell was in a shockable rhythm at that time and had the defibrillator been able to deliver shocks, those shocks would have been successful... And Russell would not have died when he did.”

She added that it was “possible, but not probable” that he would have survived for another 30 days. The coroner went on to warn that if changes were not made to the national defibrillator system, more people would die.

Defibrillators give a shock of electricity to the heart, which can help get it beating again if someone has gone into cardiac arrest. Outside medical settings they are often located in public places such as schools, airports, community centres or repurposed phone boxes.