A third failure involving potentially life-saving equipment installed by Melksham Town Council has emerged after newly installed bleed kits were not initially registered on an emergency mapping system.
The bleed kits were installed at several locations across Melksham in June as part of efforts to improve emergency provision in the town.
However, when checks were carried out in August, the kits were not registered on the HeartSafe mapping system.
The system can be accessed by emergency service control rooms and is intended to help ambulance call handlers direct members of the public to registered emergency equipment when it is needed.
South Western Ambulance Service subsequently confirmed that the newly installed kits had not been registered.
The issue has now been resolved, with Melksham Town Council confirming that the registration process has been completed.
It marks the third concern raised over 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 serious medical emergency.
A resident had attempted to obtain the defibrillator following an incident involving a family member, who later died.
A further issue emerged earlier this year after the council installed an initial set of bleed kits in March.
Those kits were subsequently found not to have been approved by South Western Ambulance Service.
The council said at the time that advice had not been sought from either the ambulance service or police before the equipment was purchased and said it would investigate obtaining replacement kits.
The new kits were installed in June, but their absence from the HeartSafe system subsequently raised further concerns.
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 bleed-kit programme, the council has also arranged community training through Owen’s World Foundation, aimed at helping residents, staff and volunteers respond to serious bleeding incidents.
The next training session is due to take place at Melksham Town Hall at 6.30pm on Tuesday, 8 September.
