316 ‘Missing in action’: Debunking risk perceptions of theft and vandalism of public access defibrillators in Wales

Community public access defibrillators (CPADs) facilitate provision of early defibrillation yet speedy access to these devices may be hindered by storage in locked cabinets. Rationale for locking cabinets seems based on an exaggerated perception of vandalism/theft risk, despite low incidences of such in the UK.1 Wales, has one of the largest fleets of CPADs (n=7,612) of the 14 UK ambulance services registered (with a named Guardian) on The Circuit (the national defibrillator network, http://www.thecircuit.uk/), with 73% of these available on a 24/7 basis and 57% placed in unlocked cabinets. This study explores the nature and frequency of ‘missing’ or ‘vandalised’ CPADs in Wales and forms part of a work programme (adopting quality improvement methodology) to better understand CPAD accessibility challenges.