Hundreds of schoolchildren to receive life-saving CPR training

Dozens of schools across South Yorkshire have signed to to receive life-saving CPR training.
Dan Fagg who suffered a heart attack on a football pitch takes part in Restart a Heart Day at Hayfield School in Auckley. Dan is pictured with mum Hayley Thomson.Dan Fagg who suffered a heart attack on a football pitch takes part in Restart a Heart Day at Hayfield School in Auckley. Dan is pictured with mum Hayley Thomson.
Dan Fagg who suffered a heart attack on a football pitch takes part in Restart a Heart Day at Hayfield School in Auckley. Dan is pictured with mum Hayley Thomson.

Staff from Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust will visit 31 schools on European Restart a Heart Day - October 16.

YAS first delivered the mass training event in 2014 to mark the European Resuscitation Council’s Restart a Heart Day.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Over the last three years YAS has provided CPR training to more than 51,000 youngsters with support from the Resuscitation Council (UK), British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance, the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charitable Fund and other partner agencies.

Across Yorkshire, 138 schools have signed up to take part.

Jason Carlyon, resuscitation manager for YAS, said: “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest and if a bystander immediately performs CPR, this can double the patient’s chances of survival.

"By teaching more people how to carry out CPR, we hope to increase the bystander CPR rates which will in turn, improve the survival rates for people who suffer a cardiac arrest.

“The majority of cardiac arrests happen in the home so by learning CPR, these youngsters could one day save the life of someone they love.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Over 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrests outside of hospital in the UK every year. If this happens in front of a bystander who starts CPR immediately before the arrival of the ambulance, the patient’s chances of survival double.

The BHF supplies free Call Push Rescue training kits, including manikins and a tutorial DVD, to participating secondary schools and community groups across the UK to help people learn life-saving CPR as part of its Nation of Lifesavers campaign.

Sara Askew, head of survival at the BHF, said: “Sadly, thousands of lives are being lost every year because people lack the confidence and skills to step in and start CPR which could save a life when someone collapses with a cardiac arrest.

“We need as many people as possible to learn this life-saving skill to give them the confidence to step in and try to save a life when they see someone suffer a cardiac arrest.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We’re absolutely delighted that so many schools across Yorkshire are continuing to help create a Nation of Lifesavers by learning CPR on Restart a Heart Day.”

Dr Andy Lockey, honorary secretary of the Resuscitation Council, said: “Yorkshire Ambulance Service continues to lead the way with its work to increase the number of young people trained in CPR.

"As a proud Yorkshireman, it is wonderful to see such exemplar activity occurring in my own county, but from a Resuscitation Council perspective it is also fantastic that this good work is helping to inspire the national project.”