A new £1m fund could help install around 1,000 more defibrillators across England, the Government has said.

This is part of Government efforts to support the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.

Officials said the funding will be invested through an as-yet-unannounced independent partner, which will manage the grant process.

Selected applicants will be required to either fully or partially match the funding received, which the Government claims could potentially double the number of defibrillators added further.

The Northern Echo: The fund will be used for the purchase of defibrillators but not their upkeepThe fund will be used for the purchase of defibrillators but not their upkeep (Image: PA)

They will also be asked to show that the devices will be placed in areas most in need and with the highest footfall, such as local shops, post offices and parks

The Department of Health will provide funding for the purchase, but not the upkeep of defibrillators.

Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’ve heard extraordinary stories of ordinary people being kept alive thanks to the swift use of a defibrillator on the football pitch, at the gym or in their local community.

READ MORE: ‘Deadly game of hide and seek’ over poorly-signposted defibrillators

“We must make sure these life-saving devices are more accessible, with our new £1 million fund expected to place around 1,000 new defibrillators in communities across England.”

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the scheme.

She said: “For every minute without CPR or defibrillation, a person’s chances of survival from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest decreases by 10%, so we welcome this move to improve access to defibrillators in communities across England.

“We urge anyone who looks after a defibrillator in their community, workplace or sports club to ensure that it is registered on The Circuit so that the ambulance services will know where it is in an emergency.”