The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) was installed in Woolworths Kempsey recently and is part of a priority roll out program at Woolworths that ensures rural and regional community, or areas where it may be hard to access a medical site gets first access to the roll out.

The AED is designed to be used by anyone, with clear step-by-step voice instructions that can guide members of the public through the process.

Woolworths Kempsey Store Manager, Lee Humphries said the defibrillator can be used to assist any member of the public.

"We are pleased to have a defibrillator installed in our store which everyone can have access to," she said.

"You never know when a sudden cardiac arrest might strike and in the unfortunate event that it does, having the local community able to access this treatment, could help to save lives. The best medical advice tells us that access to an AED early on can greatly increase the chance of survival."

An estimated 20,000 Australians suffer a cardiac arrest outside a hospital every year. The survival rate if you have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital is approximately 10%.

Deputy Executive Director, Professor Jamie Vandenberg from the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute said early access to a defibrillator can save a life.

"Access to a defibrillator can mean the difference between saving or losing a life. A sudden cardiac arrest occurs when there is an electrical problem with the heart. A defibrillator delivers a therapeutic dose of electrical currents to the heart, giving a person their best chance of survival."

The defibrillator installed at Woolworths Kempsey is supplied by Winc, in partnership with Integrity Health and Safety, Australia's first Indigenous provider of work health and safety products, which will also enable a positive social impact.

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