19 April 2010
The top nurse at Epsom, St Helier and Sutton hospitals is supporting a new campaign from St John’s Ambulance, which encourages more people to get first aid training.
The campaign was launched following new figures that show that up to 150,000 people a year could be given a chance to live if more people knew first aid. This staggering number includes nearly 900 people who choke to death, 2,500 who asphyxiate from a blocked airway and 29,000 who die from heart attacks.
Director of Nursing at the Trust, Pippa Hart, trains staff at the Trust in advanced resuscitation. She said: "Around 2,500 people die each year from a blocked airway, but if someone on the scene had known the recovery position, lives could have been saved.
"The simple fact is that being first aid trained could make you the difference between life or death.
"Getting some basic, free first aid could make a dramatic difference in a lot of common situations, either through direct intervention, in the case of choking, or by recognising life-threatening signs, such as a heart attack, and caring for someone until an ambulance arrives.
"At the Trust, we recognise the importance of basic life support. That’s why every new member of staff has basic training, which they can top up with refresher courses whenever they feel it necessary."
As part of the campaign, St John’s Ambulance is urging everyone to send a text or visit the website to claim a free first aid guide. The free pocket-sized guide features first aid skills that can help in five common life-threatening situations. To claim your free guide, simply text LIFE to 85010. Texts to this number are charged at standard network rate.
Alternatively, you can get in touch through the St John’s Ambulance website, at www.sja.org.uk.
