AXREM Supports the Heart Restart Tax Campaign to Scrap Defibrillator Tax

24 October 2024

AXREM is joining a coalition of leading first aid and cardiovascular charities and organisations in supporting the campaign to scrap the VAT on Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), a move that would increase affordability and save lives.

The Heart Restart Tax campaign, led by the British Healthcare Trades Association (BHTA), brings together community groups, charities, businesses, and MPs to campaign for change. The campaign is backed by a range of organisations, including the British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance, and the British Red Cross.

Defibrillators are used to restart a person’s heart in the event of sudden cardiac arrest, and early treatment can increase survival rates to as high as 70% if defibrillation is given within three to five minutes of collapse. However, the median distance to an AED from the centre of any given UK postcode is over 700 metres—an average 19-minute walking distance there and back.

Small businesses, community groups, charities, and private users currently pay added tax on defibrillator purchases, raising costs by £200-500 per defibrillator. The campaign is urging the government to reconsider the tax to ensure that more defibrillators can be installed across the country.

Currently, local authorities, the NHS, and specific first aid charities are exempt from VAT on defibrillators, meaning that the tax primarily affects small businesses, charities, community groups, grassroots sports clubs, and private owners.

David Stockdale, Chief Executive of the British Healthcare Trades Association, said: “We know that defibrillators save lives, but they are far too few and far between on our streets. This Heart Restart Tax is a tax on saving lives, and we’re really pleased to have the support of leading first aid and cardiovascular charities and organisations to reinforce that scrapping the VAT on defibrillators is a common-sense solution to a real problem for private users, community groups, and grassroots sports clubs.”

Sally Edgington, Chief Executive Officer of AXREM, the trade association representing the interests of suppliers of diagnostic medical imaging, radiotherapy, healthcare IT and care equipment including patient monitoring in the UK.

“Our Patient Monitoring members, some of whom supply defibrillators are supportive of this campaign and as a trade association we support the BHTA’s and other associated organisations work on this campaign. This campaign is about doing the right thing and ensuring that defibrillators are accessible to all when they are need, which is about saving lives. I wholeheartedly support this campaign and will assist in any way I can personally and via my professional and organisations profiles”.

ENDS