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Nationwide is implementing plans across all its branches throughout the UK. The building society says the initiative forms part of its dedication to communities right across Britain.

The lender has issued a statement following approval of plans for a single branch - but the action is part of a wider policy. Within it, they confirmed their intention to ensure this is replicated at all of their branches.

The firm stated: "Nationwide Building Society are committed to supporting the communities they serve, with branches located at the centre of high streets across the UK. As part of this commitment to community wellbeing, they aim to ensure people have rapid, 24/7 access to vital emergency equipment whenever it is needed.

"As such, they plan to install external defibrillators and bleed control kits across all Nationwide branches. Each piece of equipment will be housed in its own dedicated, secure external cabinet."

The modification is taking place at a branch on London Road in St Leonards in East Sussex, reports say. However, it represents just one of numerous similar applications submitted to councils in recent weeks.

Earlier this month, councillors gave the green light to such a proposal in Paisley. A further application was submitted in April for their Dumfries branch, alongside one for identical equipment in Mansfield.

Nationwide commented on its Paisley proposal to say: "The aim is to deliver a clear, simple, and potentially life-saving message: Where there is a Nationwide branch, there is always access to a defibrillator and bleed kit in an emergency."

The equipment there is scheduled to be fitted to an external wall. The objective is to make it easy to reach.

The firm said in its proposal: "The cabinets need to be in a prominent location where they can easily be seen and at a height where they can be reached in case they are needed in an emergency. We have proposed that the cabinets are fixed in locations that, whilst prominent, have limited impact on the appearance of the conservation area.

"The cabinets can be removed if they become redundant and the benefits of installing these cabinets are potentially life-saving so we consider that this outweighs any harm to the appearance of the conservation area."

Renfrewshire Council approved the scheme. It said: "The potential benefits offered by the proposed apparatus are noted to be a very obvious material consideration in this case and it is agreed that the potential life-saving benefits of the equipment are an overriding factor. To this end, the proposals are warmly welcomed."

What does the equipment do? According to the website Heartsafe, Bleed Kits are specifically designed to handle 'life threatening bleeding'. In the event of a traumatic injury, a person can lose critical amounts of blood within minutes.

The site says: "A bleed kit package that includes items like haemostatic dressings, trauma dressings, and a tourniquet can benefit a community in several ways. This type of package can be vital in emergencies where there is a severe bleeding injury, allowing bystanders or the injured person themselves to provide immediate aid while waiting for professional medical help."

The Red Cross says a defibrillator is used to help someone who is in cardiac arrest (unresponsive and not breathing). They say it is a sophisticated yet easy-to-use medical device that, through pads applied to the chest, can analyse the heart's rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock to the heart.

Their website states: "Quick use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) can lead to survival rates of 50% to 70%* and if someone is unresponsive and not breathing, defibrillators are crucial, as every minute that passes without chest compressions and defibrillation reduces their chance of survival by up to 10%."The quicker an unresponsive person who is not breathing can receive chest compressions and a shock from an AED, the greater their chance of survival."