Support after cardiac arrest

Welcome to Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK)’s dedicated support page for cardiac arrest survivors and for those involved in a resuscitation attempt. 

At RCUK, we believe that everyone has the right to make their best possible recovery after experiencing a cardiac arrest. Our mission is to empower survivors and their loved ones along with anyone else present at a cardiac arrest or supporting those affected by it with valuable resources and information. 

At the moment, there is no standard formal aftercare pathway for cardiac arrest recovery in the UK. This is why RCUK, in collaboration with our esteemed partners such as Save a Life Cymru, NHS Wales, Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, Sudden Cardiac Arrest UK, Save A Life for Scotland, the British Heart Foundation, and more, have united our efforts to highlight the support available.

Your journey to cardiac arrest recovery 

What is a cardiac arrest? 

Cardiac arrest means that the heart has stopped pumping blood around the body. This may occur for many reasons, but the loss of the electrical coordination that controls the normal heartbeat can be responsible.

Expert guidance and resources

Access a wealth of trusted resources and information based on clinical research and the lived experiences of people like you below.

Get Involved 

My Right to Cardiac Arrest Recovery campaign

At RCUK, we believe that everyone affected by involvement in a cardiac arrest, and the provision of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), must be able to access appropriate, ongoing, personalised support. That’s why we want to improve the post-cardiac arrest support available. 

To learn more about our campaign, please read here. 

Share your story

If you or someone in your family is a cardiac arrest survivor, we’d love to hear from you. Personal stories from people who’ve experienced cardiac arrest are vital to our campaign and help us ensure we’re highlighting the issues that matter the most.  

We hold regular meetings to discuss the campaign’s next steps, so your expert insight would be tremendously valuable.  

Please email us at communications@resus.org.uk.