A third failure involving life-saving equipment installed by Melksham Town Council has been identified after newly installed bleed kits were found not to have been registered on an emergency mapping system.
The kits were installed across several locations in Melksham in June but were not registered on the HeartSafe mapping system when Melksham News checked in August.
The system can be accessed by emergency service control rooms and allows ambulance call handlers to direct people to registered bleed kits in an emergency.
The latest issue is the third concern raised about life-saving equipment installed by the town council.
In 2025, a defibrillator outside Melksham Fire Station could not be accessed through the ambulance service’s emergency location system during a medical emergency. A resident attempted to access the defibrillator following a serious medical incident in which a family member later died.
The council also installed a first set of bleed kits in March this year. It was later discovered that the kits had not been approved by the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAS).
The council said at the time that no advice had been sought from the ambulance service or police before the kits were purchased and said it would look into purchasing a new set of kits, designed to control severe bleeding in an emergency and to help save lives before professional help arrives.
After the new kits were installed in June, the South Western Ambulance Service (SWAS) confirmed to Melksham News in August that they had not been registered on the HeartSafe mapping system.
Following concerns raised from Melksham News, the town council has now confirmed that the registration process for the new kits has been completed.
Hayley Bell, Clerk of Melksham Town Council, said, “During the rollout of the programme, a delay was identified in completing the registration of the new bleed kits with the ambulance service and associated databases. This has now been addressed, and the registration process has been completed.
“We have also reviewed our internal processes to ensure that registration requirements are built into future installations from the outset.
“Melksham Town Council is proud of the work being undertaken to improve emergency response provisions across the town. We are committed to ensuring these facilities are properly registered, maintained and accessible to support the residents of Melksham.”
As part of the roll-out, the town council arranged for Owen’s World Foundation to deliver community training sessions for residents, staff and volunteers, aimed at building confidence in responding to serious bleeding incidents. The next session will take place on Tuesday 8th September 6.30pm at Melksham Town Hall.
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