17 May 2011
The most senior nurse at Epsom, Sutton and St Helier hospitals is getting behind a new campaign which calls on the Government to add emergency life support skills (such as first aid and resuscitation) to the national curriculum.
The initiative, which has been launched by the Resuscitation Council (UK) and the British Heart Foundation, aims to get emergency skills such as CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation), dealing with serious bleeding and helping someone who may be having a heart attack, onto the curriculum of school's across the country.
As well as being the Trust's Director of Nursing, Pippa Hart also teaches nurses, doctors and other staff in advanced resuscitation skills. She said: "It doesn't matter who you are - whether you're young, old, male or female - if you happen to be the first on the scene of an emergency, you could be the difference between life and death.
"This is about saving people's lives. It seems obvious to me that these simple skills should be taught in schools, and after all, if just one death could be prevented it will be completely worthwhile. I would encourage everyone to support this campaign and to sign the petition.
"Learning these skills doesn't take long - just two hours for basic skills - and they are suitable for a wide range of ages. Children from the age of 10 can learn the full range of emergency life support skills, while younger children can be taught how to dial 999, call for help and check for danger."
It is estimated that up to 150,000 people a year in the UK 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 die because of a blocked airway and 29,000 who die from heart attacks.
For more information about how you can get involved with the campaign, visit the Resuscitation Council (UK). You can also sign the British Heart Foundation's online petition.
