On 19th July 2018 the Government announced plans to make teaching CPR part of the national schools curriculum.
Following years of campaigning from various bodies including the British Heart Foundation (BHF), St John Ambulance (SJA) and the British Red Cross the Education Secretary, Damian Hinds, has confirmed draft legislation for vital life saving skills to be taught to all school children in England from 2020.
Basic first aid techniques including how to call the emergency services will be taught in primary schools while secondary schoolchildren will receive enhanced training such as how to perform CPR and how to use a defibrillator.
This is a great step forward in promoting essential first aid skills to a wider audience. According to the British Red Cross 95% of British adults would not be able to provide aid in “three of the most life-threatening first aid emergencies”.
Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the BHF said “Adding CPR to the curriculum in England will mark a defining moment in improving the UK’s shockingly low survival rates from cardiac arrests.
“Less than one in 10 people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, but evidence suggests nearly one in four could survive if all young people are trained with lifesaving CPR skills.”
But the legislation is in draft format at the moment and is going through consultation. You can have your say by responding to the Department for Education consultation paper.
