Tag: lifesaving skills

Edinburgh rail users and tourists get chance to learn vital lifesaving skills

  • St Andrew’s First Aid to deliver free CPR demonstrations at popular locations to mark Restart a Heart Day.

Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, St Andrew’s First Aid, is providing Edinburgh locals and tourists with a chance to learn lifesaving CPR skills at open demonstrations held in the heart of the city this month.

To mark ‘Restart a Heart Day’ (16th October), an initiative led by Resuscitation Council UK to increase the number of people who survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, St Andrew’s First Aid will be delivering free public demonstrations across three city centre locations.    

Passers-by will be invited to get involved with CPR demonstrations, as well as learning how to use an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

They will also be encouraged to practice what they have learned, gaining insightful feedback from St Andrew’s First Aid Community Engagement Trainers and Volunteers, to ensure they are prepared to step in and help, if they witness someone having a cardiac arrest. 

Jim Dorman, Director of Operations and Community Engagement at St Andrew’s First Aid said: “We usually mark Restart a Heart with one day – but this year we decided it needs to be noticed – so we’re carrying out a roadshow across the full month of October, with free demonstrations taking place up and down the country.

“The importance of knowing how to administer CPR correctly can really be the difference between life and death for those receiving it. It’s our ambition to have as many people as possible learning these vital skills that could ultimately save a life.”

St Andrew’s First Aid Community Engagement Trainers and Volunteers will be in attendance at the following locations:

  • Edinburgh Castle: Wednesday 16th October: 11am-4pm
  • Edinburgh Haymarket Train Station: Thursday 17th October – 11am-2pm
  • Edinburgh Waverly Station: Saturday 19th October – 11am-4pm

Between April 2022 and May 2023, there were 3,161 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Scotland*. Charities such as St Andrew’s First Aid are making it their mission to create a nation of lifesavers, by providing easy to access and free training to the public.

To find out more about St Andrew’s First Aid please visit: www.firstaid.org.uk

* https://www.scottishambulance.com/media/10dn0df0/ohca-report-2022-23.pdf

VR technology and educational escape rooms used to train over 600 school children in vital lifesaving skills

Over 600 high school students have so far been trained in vital lifesaving skills as part of a groundbreaking pilot training programme using innovative technologies such as virtual reality (VR) and educational escape rooms.

The Young Minds Save Lives pilot programme, which is run by the Scottish Ambulance Service and is currently funded by NHS Charities Together, provides young people with critical knowledge and skills on how to respond in a medical emergency and preventative healthcare. The programme also aims to raise awareness about future careers in healthcare and opportunities for volunteering.

Working with staff at Shawlands Academy and Holyrood Secondary School, the pilot training programme has been designed with S3 students to meet the specific needs of the local community whilst providing interest to the young people by using innovative educational tools which are not typically used in a school setting.

The programme, which is delivered to pupils by two local frontline paramedics, covers topics such as CPR where dummies and VR headsets are used, recognising strokes, chest pain and heart attacks, drug and alcohol harm, and excessive bleeding from penetrating wounds such as knives.

The young people took part in educational escape room challenges which tested their knowledge on the topics they had been taught in order to finish the programme.

Reflecting on her experience, Mia Tait, S3 student at Shawlands Academy said: “I’ve really enjoyed taking part in the Young Minds Save Lives pilot programme and have learned loads of new skills.

“It’s also really increased my confidence, so if I ever came across or was involved in a medical emergency, I’d feel like I’d know what to do now.

“Using a VR headset for our CPR lesson was great fun and when I took it home to show my family, they were keen to have a go too!

“The programme has also given me more of an insight into the work of paramedics and the potential career and volunteering options that are available at the Scottish Ambulance Service when I’m a bit older. I’d never really thought about it before.”

Michael Dickson, Scottish Ambulance Service Chief Executive said: “The Young Minds Saves Lives pilot programme is unique.

“It’s a co-designed project working with the young people using innovative technology and creative learning methods to educate them on vital skills, and it also focuses on working with the local community to support their needs and issues with the outcome of improving population health, supporting healthcare careers of young people, and wider health and wellbeing.

“The feedback we have received from staff, pupils, parents and the community whilst we’ve been running this pilot project has been absolutely fantastic.

“The University of Glasgow have undertaken an evaluation of the programme and the next step, subject to securing further investment, is to roll the initiative out across the country in order to train more high school children in vital life-saving skills and preventative healthcare areas, which will benefit additional Scottish communities.”

The pilot programme is supported by Save a Life Scotland, Resus UK, the University of Glasgow, Developing the Young Workforce Glasgow, NHS Education for Scotland, Health Improvement Scotland and Eeek Escape Rooms.

For more information about how you can support the Young Minds Save Lives initiative, contact: sas.ymsl@nhs.scot.

Time to learn about lifesaving with the National Lifesaving Academy

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) are calling on parents to ensure that their children have the chance to learn lifesaving skills as part of their National Lifesaving Academy. 

The awards are a suite of progressive awards that teach personal survival, first aid, CPR, rescue, and fitness skills to anyone aged 12 years and over. Their aim is to teach candidates how to stay safe around water and how to safely assist others who may have gotten into difficulty in both aquatic and non-aquatic situations.

Statistics from RLSS UK show that around two-thirds of children who drown are cited as swimmers, the NLA can not only ensure that children feel confident with their swimming ability, but also ensure that in different environments, not just a warm swimming pool, they would have the skills and knowledge to be able to remain safe, and keep others safe. 

Lifesavers can take awards in either beach, open water or pool, or all three if they wish, and progress through the award from the bronze certificate, to the bronze star, before obtaining their bronze medallion, a prestigious award for lifesavers. 

There is then the opportunity to obtain a distinction award for those who are able to achieve any of the following: gain a lifesaving instructor award; undertake voluntary service to the lifesaving community; or undertake work experience in the leisure sector. 

Lee Heard, Charity Director at RLLS UK said: “When designing the award we wanted to ensure it was completely accessible to young people from all backgrounds and households, and this is why we have ensured that the price of the award remains affordable.

“We also wanted the skills obtained in the award to be formally recognised to allow career progression within the leisure industry.

“For many young people, lifesaving is the first step in a long career within the leisure industry. With this in mind, any bronze medallion achieved can be used a Recognised Prior Learning (RPL) hours towards the relevant vocational lifeguard qualification, something which can be a fantastic earning opportunity whilst studying, as well as a great addition to any CV. 

“As well as this, our lifesavers will now learn the same theory and techniques you can find in our regulated qualifications, such as First Aid at Work and the National Pool Lifeguard Qualification, meaning that lifesavers will now cover the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for adults, children, and infants. 

“With the rise of Community Access Public Defibrillators and the news that all state-funded schools will have a defibrillator by the end of the 22/23 academic year, it was the right time to teach our Lifesavers how to use this lifesaving equipment.”

The skills that can be learnt when taking the National Lifesaving Academy award are vital to ensure that future lifesavers have the necessary knowledge to help others to enjoy water safely. 

The programme has been endorsed by gold medal Olympians and GB triathletes Jonny and Alistair Brownlee. Alistair said “I would recommend the National Lifesaving Academy, firstly, because I believe lifesaving skills are really important for anyone to learn, especially if you are going to be partaking in any open water activity, or going to the swimming pool. 

“Secondly, being able to swim confidently in open water is a fantastic life skill and this course gives people the ability to do that safely. Thirdly, it’s also important for us all to learn that we can swim in our fantastic natural resources in this country if you take the right precautions, and all of those messages are given to you through the academy.

“More people in this country are swimming outdoors, we need to educate people in how to do that safely. We all want to enjoy the open water, we all want to enjoy swimming and getting active but we have to do that in safe environment. 

“You can also pick lots of skills from the academy, you can learn first aid, you can keep yourself fit to look after other people, you can learn about the dangers of different swimming environments, and that is really important and we need as many people as possible to learn all of that.”

The programme has also been endorsed by Paralympic Champion Ellie Robinson MBE, and Olympian and Sports Scientist Professor Greg Whyte OBE. 

To find out more, visit www.rlss.org.uk/find-a-club to find a lifesaving club in your area.

Visit our website at rlss.org.uk 

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Call – 0300 323 0096