Recurring concern

Insufficient awareness and training for sudden cardiac death risks in sport

Get email alerts

Request correction

First reported 7 Apr 2025•Latest report 16 Apr 2026

Definition

What this concern includes

Includes inadequate dissemination, coverage or content of sudden-cardiac-arrest training for sports organisations and insufficient awareness among responsible adults of red-flag symptoms in sports participants.

Not included

Excludes cardiac screening, diagnostic testing or treatment failures where education or awareness is not deficient.
Excludes defibrillator availability or emergency-service response where sudden-cardiac-arrest training and warning-sign awareness are reliable.
Excludes cardiac-risk education outside a sports-participation context.

Reports: 2
Individual concerns: 2
Date range: 2025–2026
Stated actions: 11

Reports over time

Reports about this concern issued each year.

* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.

Most frequent recipients

Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.

Department of Health and Social Care2

Association of Ambulance Chief Executives1

British Society For Genetic Medicine1

Cardiac Risk in the Young1

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport1

Faculty of Intensive Care Medicine1

Faculty of Sport and Exercise Medicine UK1

NHS Central East Integrated Care Board1

NHS England1

Northamptonshire Safeguarding Children Partnership1

North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust1

Resuscitation Council UK1

Royal College of Emergency Medicine1

Royal College of Radiologists1

South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust1

Concerns and responses across reports

Only concerns grouped under this recurring concern are included. Select any concern, action or position to view the source wording.

16 Apr2026
West London
Concerns raised1
1. Insufficient dissemination and mandatory coverage of Sudden Cardiac Arrest training across football leagues, clubs, coaches and referees
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 10
1. Action
  Support development and dissemination of defibrillator-related guidance with the Resuscitation Council UK.
  Stated by Association of Ambulance Chief ExecutivesStated completed
2. Action
  Hold an initial meeting with a local football academy and agree initial progress actions for proposed joint training on collapsed-player 999 calls.
  Stated by South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation TrustStated planned
3. Action
  Promote the SCA module through websites, social media, newsletters, referee communications and County Football Association asset packs.
  Stated by The Football AssociationStated planned
1. Action
  Reintegrate the SCA module into EE Playmaker and notify affected learners that completion is required to retain certification.
  Stated by The Football AssociationStated planned
2. Action
  Add the SCA module to Advanced Trauma Medical Management in Football training.
  Stated by The Football AssociationStated completed
3. Action
  Launch a dedicated referee learning-management system to track completion and communicate directly with referees.
  Stated by The Football AssociationStated planned
4. Action
  Undertake a feasibility study on phased requirements for SCA-trained coverage at football games and use its findings to inform long-term proposals.
  Stated by The Football AssociationStated planned
5. Action
  Publish a national best-practice guide supporting early recognition of cardiac arrest and prompt CPR and defibrillation in community sport.
  Stated by Resuscitation Council UKStated completed
6. Action
  Work with national partners to support public awareness, training and access to defibrillators, including collaboration with the British Heart Foundation on The Circuit.
  Stated by Resuscitation Council UKStated in progress
7. Action
  Promote education and develop setting-specific resuscitation guidance for sport and community environments.
  Stated by Resuscitation Council UKStated in progress
AI-generated summary

Adam Ankers · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Adam Ankers suffered a cardiac arrest while playing grassroots football on 31 January 2024 due to a previously unidentified inherited cardiac condition, and died in hospital on 4 February 2024 following brain stem death. Agonal breathing and cardiac arrest were not recognised at the pitch or by the 999 call handler, and an AED was brought to the pitch but not used. The report identified concerns about recognition of agonal breathing and cardiac arrest, access to and use of defibrillators, dissemination of sudden cardiac arrest training, cardiac screening, and cascade communication of inherited disease information.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Insufficient dissemination and mandatory coverage of Sudden Cardiac Arrest training across football leagues, clubs, coaches and referees
Wider context from the report
“POINT B: That the Football Association’s Sudden Cardiac Arrest training is not more widely disseminated or mandatory for all FA Accredited and Affiliated leagues and clubs and all grassroots football coaches and referees. ”
Source location
Adam Ankers · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 3 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Support development and dissemination of defibrillator-related guidance with the Resuscitation Council UK.

Verbatim wording from the response
“AACE has also worked alongside RCUK to support the development and dissemination of related guidance, an example being RCUK’s current delivery of field of play guidance, specifically focused at grassroots sports.”

Source location
Response from Association of Ambulance Chief Executives
Page 2 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Hold an initial meeting with a local football academy and agree initial progress actions for proposed joint training on collapsed-player 999 calls.

Verbatim wording from the response
“As an initial step, the Trust has contacted a local football academy to discuss this proposal, and they are keen to explore this further with us. The Trust has also contacted your office and obtained the contact details for the representative from the Football Association your officers used for Adam’s inquest so that this proposal can be discussed with them.”

Source location
Response from South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust
Page 2 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Promote the SCA module through websites, social media, newsletters, referee communications and County Football Association asset packs.

Verbatim wording from the response
“The FA will actively promote the SCA module on The FA and England Football websites and across its social media platforms before the start of the 2026/2027 grassroots season to encourage engagement. The FA has 262,000 social media followers and England Football has 2.3 million social media followers. There are an average of 542,000 monthly active users on thefa.com and 583,000 monthly active users on EnglandFootball.com. iv. The FA will include information about the SCA module and risks of SCA in its Clubs and Leagues newsletter, to be sent on Friday 26th June, asking recipients to encourage everyone involved in their respective clubs and leagues to complete the free SCA module. The Clubs and Leagues newsletter is sent to an audience of 132,700 contacts at affiliated clubs and leagues;”

Source location
Response from The FA
Page 3 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Reintegrate the SCA module into EE Playmaker and notify affected learners that completion is required to retain certification.

Verbatim wording from the response
“9. The SCA training module is also an essential component of ‘EE Playmaker by England Football’ (“EE Playmaker”). EE Playmaker is a free online entry level football course for those interested in a more active role in grassroots football. Between January 2026 and June 2026, the SCA module was temporarily signposted for completion by participants as part of EE Playmaker rather than being integrated into the module itself. However, the SCA module will be fully integrated back into EE Playmaker from 12 June 2026. Over 12,000 learners who had either completed or enrolled on EE Playmaker between January 2026 and June 2026 have been contacted by The FA and informed that they are required to complete the SCA module in order for their EE Playmaker certificate to remain valid.”

Source location
Response from The FA
Page 2 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Add the SCA module to Advanced Trauma Medical Management in Football training.

Verbatim wording from the response
“10. The SCA module is mandated across the medical pathway from Level 1 to Level 4. While it is difficult to ascertain precise statistics, there have been more than 430,000 completions of FA medical courses since 2021 (more than 300,000 are completion of IFAiF). From 19 May 2026,”

Source location
Response from The FA
Page 2 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Launch a dedicated referee learning-management system to track completion and communicate directly with referees.

Verbatim wording from the response
“19. The FA intends to launch a new Learning Management System for referees in August 2026. The use of a dedicated platform will enable greater tracking of training completion statistics for referees (as distinct from other participants) and this will also provide a platform by which The FA will be able to communicate directly with referees and therefore provides an additional opportunity to promote completion of the SCA module.”

Source location
Response from The FA
Page 4 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Undertake a feasibility study on phased requirements for SCA-trained coverage at football games and use its findings to inform long-term proposals.

Verbatim wording from the response
“21. The FA has committed to undertaking a feasibility study in the coming season to examine strategies that could lead to every game being attended by at least one individual who has completed the SCA module. The feasibility study will consider the practicability and efficacy of a phased approach to the introduction of mandating training for certain categories of participants.”

Source location
Response from The FA
Page 5 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Publish a national best-practice guide supporting early recognition of cardiac arrest and prompt CPR and defibrillation in community sport.

Verbatim wording from the response
“RCUK has reinforced this approach through its ‘Resuscitation on the Field of Play: Best Practice Guidelines’², which aim to improve the recognition and response to sudden cardiac arrest in sporting environments. These guidelines are designed for medical teams responding to a person who collapses during or shortly after sporting activity within professional sport, including football. RCUK has also recently published ‘Resuscitation in community sports: a national best practice guide’³, aimed at grassroots sport to improve early recognition of cardiac arrest and prompt use of CPR and defibrillation.”

Source location
Response from Resuscitation Council UK
Page 2 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Work with national partners to support public awareness, training and access to defibrillators, including collaboration with the British Heart Foundation on The Circuit.

Verbatim wording from the response
“RCUK is working with national partners to support public awareness, training, and access to defibrillators. This includes collaboration with the British Heart Foundation to support The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, which enables ambulance services to direct bystanders to nearby devices⁵. RCUK also continues to promote education and develop guidance for specific settings, including sport and community settings, to support a timely and effective response.”

Source location
Response from Resuscitation Council UK
Page 3 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Promote education and develop setting-specific resuscitation guidance for sport and community environments.

Verbatim wording from the response
“RCUK is working with national partners to support public awareness, training, and access to defibrillators. This includes collaboration with the British Heart Foundation to support The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, which enables ambulance services to direct bystanders to nearby devices⁵. RCUK also continues to promote education and develop guidance for specific settings, including sport and community settings, to support a timely and effective response.”

Source location
Response from Resuscitation Council UK
Page 3 · response
Published 27 April 2026
Open published response
7 Apr2025
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Concerns raised1
1. Lack of parental awareness of sudden cardiac death red-flag symptoms
This report raised 21 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Responses linked to these concerns
Each statement is shown once, even when linked to more than one concern.
Actions described in response 1
1. Action
  Support Cardiac Risk in the Young’s work to increase awareness of sudden cardiac death among sports participants.
  Stated by Department for Digital, Culture, Media and SportStated completed
AI-generated summary

Christian James Gabriel Hobbs · Prevention of Future Deaths report

This summary was generated using AI from the published report. Please read the original report for the complete account.

Report summary

Christian James Gabriel Hobbs, a 17-year-old, suffered an acute deterioration at home and was taken to hospital on 26 December 2017, where he developed cardiac arrest and died after treatment was stopped. The inquest recorded multi-organ failure, cardiogenic shock and arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Concerns included the absence of an echocardiogram before his arrest, non-targeted fluid management, delays in obtaining blood gases, team communication, radiology documentation, differential diagnosis, ECG interpretation, record keeping and emergency-department alarm data retention.

Read the report on judiciary.uk
Source evidence
How this individual concern was interpreted
PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the report wording shown below.
PFD Monitor interpretation
Lack of parental awareness of sudden cardiac death red-flag symptoms
Wider context from the report
“POINT Q – TESTING IN COMPETITIVE SPORTS FOR CARDIAC CONDITIONS I have a concern about funding mechanisms being available to say England Boxing that would enable appropriate screening for competitive boxers where there is already a mandatory need for a medical examination under the ‘fit or not fit to box’ protocol. This would aid further research on this important topic. Additionally, there may be a lack of general awareness for parents of sports participants on the issue of sudden cardiac death and so there may be a gap in knowledge/understanding of possible emergence of red flag symptoms. ”
Source location
Christian James Gabriel Hobbs · Prevention of Future Deaths report
Page 22 · concerns
Open source report
Source evidence

How this respondent action was interpreted

PFD Monitor created a concise, searchable interpretation from the published response wording shown below.

PFD Monitor interpretation
Support Cardiac Risk in the Young’s work to increase awareness of sudden cardiac death among sports participants.

Verbatim wording from the response
“In terms of parental awareness of sudden cardiac death, I fully agree this is an important issue. Through Sport England, we have supported Cardiac Risk in the Young’s excellent work in seeking to increase awareness, for example, through Sport England’s site for clubs and community organisations, Buddle. More generally, Sport England signposts to and share case studies from the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust, British Heart Foundation and UK Coaching’s online learning.”

Source location
Response from Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport
Page 1 · response
Published 15 April 2025
Open published response

Data last updated 7 September 2026

What this concern includes

Not included

Reports over time

Concerns raised1

Insufficient dissemination and mandatory coverage of Sudden Cardiac Arrest training across football leagues, clubs, coaches and referees

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.10

Concerns raised1

Lack of parental awareness of sudden cardiac death red-flag symptoms

Actions described in response An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1

Actions described in response 10

Actions described in response 1