CPR training in schools

CPR training in schools

Current campaigns

In March 2011 the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) launched a campaign to have Emergency Life Support Skills made part of the national curriculum. The skills taught would include cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid treatment of choking and the recovery position. They want to create a generation of life savers through CPR training in schools. Would you know what to do in an emergency? If you collapsed would your family know what to do? On the BHF website they state that:-

“30,000 people each year in the UK have cardiac arrests outside of the hospital environment, of which less than 10 per cent will survive to be discharged from hospital. Around two-thirds of cardiac arrests that occur outside of hospital occur in the home, and nearly half that occur in public are witnessed by bystanders. With each minute that passes in cardiac arrest before defibrillation, chances of survival are reduced by about 10 per cent.”

They also describe the story of Seattle where they have had CPR training in schools for over thirty years and had an astonishing 46% survival rate in 2009. Would you like to see this in the UK? You can find out more and help support the campaign.

Fabrice Muamba has endorsed this campaign and presented the petition at 10 Downing Street, as they had received over 100,000 signatures, to have the issue debated in The House of Commons.

Charities providing AEDs for schools

There are also organisations and charities seeking to provide CPR training in schools and Automated External Defibrillators (AED) for schools. For example, the Oliver King foundation which have recently provided AEDs for the schools that my children attend here in Buxton, Derbyshire. There is also the Hand on Heart campaign started by DefibShop and now a registered charity.

The Oliver King foundation was started by the parents of Oliver King, aged 12, who died suddenly from SADS (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome). They also have an e-petition to have the issue debated in The House of Commons.  SADS is most common in 12 – 35 year olds and the Oliver Kind Foundation says that:-

“The Government recognises that 12 young people each week die from SADS but it is believed that the true figure is around 16-19 people each week and could be higher as the condition is often misdiagnosed.”

Teaching CPR and providing AEDs in public places saves lives, there is no doubt about that. There are also charities who work with rural communities to provide CPR training and AEDs in accessible places for the whole community. The Community Heartbeat Trust  is one of those organisations. Also there are other large and small organisations providing emergency first aid training.

Local initiatives

In my local community we suffered the tragic death of 16 year old Ben Obiora, who collapsed whilst playing football in a public place. His school, St Thomas More, have fundraised for the Oliver King foundation as has the primary school, St Anne’s. They now have AEDs on site that could be used to help save someone’s life. In memory of Ben I taught a group of 15 year olds at St Thomas More School and as part of science week I am going to St Anne’s school to teach a group of 11 year olds. You are never too young or too old to begin to learn these skills. I’m sure we’ve all seen the Vinnie Jones campaign from the BHF and you will also find ‘Mini-Vinnie’ aimed at children. This campaign is aimed at those who have never had training and it has saved lives.

If you are a member of a community group that would like to access this life saving training or if you would like to know more please get in touch with me.