Nationwide Plans Life-Saving Equipment Outside Branch

Plans have been submitted to bring more round-the-clock access to life-saving emergency equipment in Market Harborough town centre.

Nationwide Building Society wants to install a defibrillator and bleed control kit in secure cabinets outside its High Street branch.

If approved, the equipment would be available 24 hours a day, giving members of the public rapid access in the event of a medical emergency.

Nationwide Building Society wants to install a defibrillator and bleed control kit in secure cabinets outside its High Street branch

Nationwide says the proposal is part of its commitment to supporting the communities it serves, with branches on high streets across the UK.

The defibrillator and bleed control kit – designed to treat severe blood loss from trauma, stabbings, or accidents before help arrives – would each be housed in their own dedicated cabinet, supplied by St John Ambulance, and fixed to the outside wall of the building.

Planning documents say the cabinets have been positioned in a prominent location where they can be easily seen and reached quickly in an emergency, while minimising their impact on the appearance of the Market Harborough Conservation Area.

The society says the cabinets could be removed in future if they were no longer needed, but believes the potential to save lives outweighs any visual impact on the historic streetscape.

The application is now being considered by Harborough District Council.