Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report 2024/25
Hato Hone St John and Wellington Free Ambulance have released the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest (OHCA) Report 2024/25, providing national insights into cardiac arrest incidence, response and survival outcomes across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Improving survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is a shared priority for both ambulance services. For Hato Hone St John, alongside falls prevention, it is one of our two cross-organisation shared goals — an area where coordinated action across emergency response, clinical care, prevention and community engagement can have the greatest impact for our communities.
The first few minutes matter
Cardiac arrest is a life-threatening emergency where every minute counts.
Survival depends heavily on what happens before emergency services arrive. Starting CPR immediately and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) can more than double a person’s chance of survival.
Because most cardiac arrests occur in the home, the first responder is often a family member, friend or neighbour. Strengthening community knowledge and confidence is therefore one of the most important ways we can improve survival nationally.
Key findings from the report
- Thousands of people are treated for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest each year in Aotearoa New Zealand.
- Survival to 30 days remains consistent with recent years.
- Patients who receive bystander defibrillation have significantly higher odds of survival.
- Most cardiac arrests occur at home.
- Inequities remain in incidence and survival for Māori, Pacific peoples, females, rural communities and those living in higher deprivation areas.
- Increasing CPR capability and equitable access to defibrillators remains a critical opportunity to improve outcomes.
Strengthening the chain of survival
Improving cardiac arrest survival requires coordinated action across the entire system — from prevention and early recognition, through to emergency response, hospital care and recovery.
Hato Hone St John works alongside Wellington Free Ambulance, Fire and Emergency New Zealand, hospitals, health providers, researchers and community organisations to strengthen every link in that chain.
Programmes supporting cardiac arrest survival include:
- 3 Steps for Life – free CPR and AED awareness sessions
- St John in Schools – teaching tamariki life-saving skills
- GoodSAM – alerting nearby trained responders to cardiac arrest emergencies
- Shocktober – nationwide CPR and AED awareness campaign
Be ready to help save a life
Knowing CPR and how to use a defibrillator could save the life of someone you love.
Together, through community action and coordinated emergency response, we can continue to improve survival from cardiac arrest across Aotearoa New Zealand.