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We are now delivering First Aid Training in Portishead in Somerset, near Bristol.

Every month from November 2023 you can get a First Aid qualification in either Emergency First Aid at work or Emergency Paediatric First Aid from our training venue in Portishead.

These First Aid qualifications delivered in the centre of Portishead, Somerset will allow you to be a Workplace First Aider or a Paediatric * Workplace First Aider.

Typical jobs in and around Portishead that need the 1-day Emergency First Aid at work qualification are small Business owners and workers, self-employed workers, trainers, teachers, shop and office staff.

If you are looking for First Aid training in Portishead – or nearby Clevedon or Nailsea, which are in easy reach of Portishead, do sign up on our ticket page here.

* The 1-day Emergency Paediatric First Aid course is for nannies, au pairs child minders etc. Note that it does not meet Ofsted requirements as that requires the 12 hour course.

Instructor used very clear instructions and put things simply with a good mix of humour and seriousness.

Really pleased to have demonstration and use of defibrillators.

Forest School First Aid course April 2021

Cascade First Aid is a First Aid Training Company based in Cardiff, South Wales. Whilst it can deliver First Aid courses across the UK, it also runs public and private courses in the South Wales area – Swansea, Newport, Cardiff, Gwent and the Brecon Beacons amongst other places.

Cascade First Aid was set up by two experienced First Aid Trainers, Andy (who is also the owner of the National School of First Aid Training) and Becky, a Freelance Trainer more used to working for Andy (and others) but who wants to make the move to running her own courses.

Cascade provides a wide range of First Aid courses from Workplace to Paediatric to Outdoor. Currently it is running Private Group Bookings at Client premises but is actively looking for a suitable venue or two to run courses from.

Cascade First Aid also offers a range of online course – not just online First Aid courses but online Health and Safety, online Health and Social Care and many other online courses.

You can find courses run by Cascade at:

and do call Cascade to discuss further. 02921 900 500

COURSE UPDATE – please read

We are still taking Bookings for public courses however, until advised otherwise, all face to face courses have stopped. Some of the courses listed below will be cancelled so please note the following.

We expect a backlog of Bookings when we restart. Priority will be given to those already Booked.

  1. If you have Booked a place and the course date is after we are told that we can start running courses again, your place is guaranteed.
  2. If you have Booked a place and we cancel the course that you are on we will move you to a different date free of charge subject to there still being spaces (subject to ‘1’, above). If you cannot make any of the different dates or no longer need the course you will get a full no-quibble refund. Just contact us and ask.
  3. If you choose not to Book you will have to Book onto any courses that have space after ‘1’ and ‘2’ have been taken care of.

Attn: Andy Crowhurst – First Aid Trainer

Hello Andy ~

 First I’d like to thank you for delivering such a thorough course.  I think I can speak for my colleagues (cc’d) when I say we came away from the training feeling a good deal more capable/confident in our ability to deliver first aid at work.  We actually have already had an opportunity to put the training into practice yesterday afternoon when an elderly gent collapsed on our estate. The situation was handled all the better thanks to the recent training, so “cheers”.

Graham.

The National School of First Aid Training is under New Ownership. 4 Minutes Training Ltd is please to announce that it has purchased the National School of First Aid Training.

Building on the success of both Companies, this will being a wider range of courses and more trainers to deliver them.

Andy Crowhurst, Director of 4 Minutes Training says “We believe that the purchase of The National School of First Aid Training will add to our portfolio of courses that we can offer. Both Companies offer Trainers that are active in their field and have hands-on experience – they are not just classroom tutors clicking on a Powerpoint Presentation.  By coupling this with a sensible pricing structure we believe that we can deliver good training at a reasonable cost to our clients. The fact that our clients call us back to rebook rather than us having to remind them is testament to this

Andy Crowhurst is an experienced First Aid Trainer, having delivered First Aid courses since the 1980’s and treated many thousands of casualties, firstly as a First Aider with the British Red Cross Society and latterly as a Community First Responder for his local Ambulance Service.

Cheryl Mathews joins Andy as a fellow Director and Trainer. Cheryl is an experienced Community Responder and Trainer.

Outdoor First Aid (SCQF level 5, 16 hours, IOL complient) course dates…

  • Meigie, Perth/Dundee – 3rd & 4th June 2017 – £110
  • Aviemore, Highlands (Cairngorms National Park) – 10th & 11th June 2017 – £110

MORE DATES AND LOCATION COMING!!!!! if you have any specific dates or locations please let us know

This 2 day Outdoor First Aid course meets the requirements for;

  • Mountain Leaders (ML, WML, MIA, MIC, IML)
  • Climbing Instructors (SPA)
  • Ski instructors (BASI)
  • Mountain Guides (BMG)
  • Kayak and Canoe Instructors (BCU, SCA)
  • Mountain Bike Instructors (MIAS)
  • D of E Award Leaders
  • Field Assistants
  • Teachers
  • Youth Worker
  • Anyone who spends time in the outdoors or wilderness environments through recreational, voluntary or work related activities.

This is a formal Outdoor First Aid qualification that is awarded as an SCQF Level 6 qualification and meets IOL (Institute for Outdoor Learning) standard level 3 course.

FREE tea and coffee will be provided however please feel free to bring your own mug and drinks if preferred

There is also an option to gain a second Emergency First Aid at Work qualification awarded as a SCQF Level 5 award that meets the needs of the Health and Safety (first aid) Regulations 1981.

If you have more than a few candidates or would like to book an in-house course please contact The National School of First Aid Training directly at mail@nsfat.co.uk, or phone us on 0330 223 2801.

New competition

Competition time – win a place on a course

We are running a competition on Twitter.  You could win a place on our Outdoor First Aid course in Edinburgh on 18th-19th May!

The rules are simple, simply follow and retweet our competition tweets to be in with a chance of winning.

For our existing followers you’ve already done 50% of the work already, so all you need to do is retweet our competition tweets.

It’s that simple!

Terms and conditions are set out below;

  • Only people that have followed and retweeted our competition tweets before the end of the competition will be in with a chance of winning
  • Competition  will run from 12th May until 9pm on 14th May.
  • The winner will be announced on Monday 16th May
  • The winning place will be on our 2-day Outdoor First Aid course in Edinburgh on 18th & 19th May. Click link for more details http://pulsecorp.co.uk/public-course/outdoor-first-aid-edinburgh/
  • Location of course is Scottish Outdoor Education Centre, Broomlee Centre, West Linton, Edinburgh, EH46 7BU
  • Course runs from 9am-6pm both days. Winning candidate must complete both days in full and pass the assessments to gain the qualification
  • You cannot exchange the course for an alternative date, location or monies

If you have any questions that have not been answered here, do not hesitate to contact us .

Good luck!

Outdoor First Aid course at Gartmore House

Our Outdoor First Aid course at Gartmore House this week proved to be a big success!

Our candidates turned up from all over Scotland to complete the 2 days of training on 3rd and 4th May.

The course was held at Gartmore House in Stirlingshire. What a fantastic venue. A magnificent 18th century country house set in the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Scotland. We were given a lovely big room where the candidates could spread out and practice their first aid skills. And then there was the grounds….75 acres of grass and woodland. Perfect for our outdoor scenarios on day 2.

The weather was looking a bit ominous on the first day, however, by day 2 it was dry and the candidates were able to practice what they had learned in the classroom outside in the forest.

The first challenge, was to actually find their casualty! Here at The National School of First Aid Training, we try to make our scenarios and training as realistic as possible, so you will not always get a calm casualty who is kind and helpful! We feel it is best to teach skills based on a ‘real’ situation and in a real situation your casualty may be screaming hysterically, or unconscious and not breathing. It is up to the candidates to find them and identify the necessary first aid that they then mus administer!

Think it’s easy?! Come and have a go and put your skills to the test!

To view and book onto one of our courses, follow the link http://pulsecorp.co.uk/public-courses/list/

 

Very informative, lots covered very well in short time. Some things covered too briefly but perhaps because course is quite short. But in Scotland perhaps hypothermia needed more time. For me time was limited due to assessment – feel as if for my purposes might have been more suited to learning rather than assessment. But overall really good course
Lynsey
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Coffee, tea and biscuits on arrival would be nice. PowerPoint presentations could be broken up a bit more to avoid fatigue/excessive info being given all at once
Gail
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Very cold in the room at times. Great course
Samantha
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

The room was cold. Please provide drinks – the course is intensive and some sessions long. At times, especially at the start, have a bit less instructor talk. Thank you very much
Alison
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Excellent trainer, good humour, very clear instructions and very informative
Jonathan
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Really good course – Ian, instruction methods were brilliant
Siobhan
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Fantastic course
Aaron
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Ian the instructor was professional throughout, clear in his instruction. Very informative
Colin
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

An excellent 2 days. I feel i learned a lot more than on a previous course i attended
Martin
Outdoor First Aid | Callander, Stirling

Outdoor First Aid course in Callander

Well, what a success our Outdoor First Aid course in Callander was this week!

We had 10 individuals turn up from across the central belt of Scotland to undertake the 2 days of training.

The course was held at the McLaren Leisure Centre in Callander on th 26th and 27th April.

All candidates completed the 2 days and passed the assessments with flying colours! Well done everyone!

So what’s involved in an Outdoor First Aid course?

If you work in the outdoors or just have a passion for adventure then this is the perfect course to keep you safe.

It covers first aid in the outdoors where help can be a number of hours away.

The course runs over 2 days usually from 9am-6pm both days.

You will cover a range of topics that will help you in an emergency. These are;

– CPR
– Recovery position
– Choking
– Bleeding
– Shock
– Major illnesses
– Leg and arm injuries
– Heat stroke and hyperthermia
– First aid kits
– As well as outdoor specific scenarios and outdoor incident management

The course will answer your questions from when or how to remove boots, helmets etc to looking after a casualty for a number of hours.

The course is very practical so you can test all of your new learned skills making you more confident if something was to happen.

The course is continually assessed throughout the day with a brief multiple choice question at the end to test your knowledge. But don’t worry, the instructor is there to help.

And after all of that hard work we will send you your fully accredited certificate in the post which will last you 3 years! Well done you!

Full title of qualification is ITC Outdoor First Aid at SQCF Level 5 which will meet with the requirements of National Governing Body instructor awards.

So if you’re interested in doing an Outdoor First Aid course with us then simply visit our website to see when our next course is

http://pulsecorp.co.uk

Competition – Win a First Aid Kit

We are running a competition on Twitter.  You could win a first aid kit!

The rules are simple, simply follow and retweet our competition tweets to be in with a chance of winning.

For our existing followers you’ve already done 50% of the work already, so all you need to do is retweet our competition tweets.

It’s that simple!

Terms and conditions are set out below;

  • Only people that have followed and retweeted our competition tweets before the end of the competition will be in with a chance of winning
  • Competition  will run from 15th April until 9pm on 16th April.
  • The winner will be announced on Monday 18th April
  • The winning first aid kit will be a 10 person workplace first aid kit with the approximate value of £10
  • UK shipping only

If you have any questions that have not been answered here, do not hesitate to contact us .

Good luck!

So what is involved in the Emergency First Aid at Work course? And is it the right course for you?

Have you ever needed to use a first aid kit? Have you ever wished you knew more first aid? Have you ever wanted to help but couldn’t? Yes?! Then the Emergency First Aid at Work course is the course for you.

It covers basic first aid skills, ideal for most individuals who want some sort of knowledge in case they find themselves in a situation where it is needed.

You will cover a range of topics that will help you in an emergency. These are;

– How to assess an incident for danger
– CPR
– Recovery position
– Choking
– Bleeding
– Shock
– Seizures
– Minor incidents
– First aid kit

The course will answer all of you questions from when to perform CPR to looking after a casualty until the ambulance arrives.

The course is very practical so you can test all of your new learned skills making you more confident if something was to happen.

The course is continually assessed throughout the day with a brief multiple choice question at the end to test your knowledge. But don’t worry, the instructor is there to help.

And after all of that hard work we will send you your fully accredited certificate in the post which will last you 3 years! Well done you!

If you would like to know more, or check our availability then please get in contact.

Full title of qualification is ITC Emergency First Aid at Work at SQCF Level 5 and can be relied upon by employers to satisfy the due diligence requirements of the HSE for EFAW training providers.

World Autism Awareness Week

Sat 2nd – Fri 8th April

So help raise awareness about autism and make a difference to the lives of autistic people across the UK

But what is autism?

In support of World Autism Awareness Week we have written a brief summary all about autism.

Autism is a lifelong, developmental disability. It affects how a person communicates with and relates to other people. It also affects how they experience the world around them.

Autistic people see, hear and feel the world in a different way from other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life.

Autism is a spectrum condition. This means that, while all autistic people share certain difficulties, being autistic will affect people in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities and other conditions. As a result, people with autism need different levels of support. Autistic people may also experience over or under sensitivity to sounds, touch, tastes, smells, light or colours.

Autistic people say the world often feels overwhelming and this can cause them considerable anxiety. Understanding and relating to other people as well as taking part in everyday family and social life can be harder if you’re autistic. Often autistic people may wonder why they are ‘different’ and can feel that their social differences mean people don’t understand them.

Autistic people often do not ‘look’ disabled. Parents of autistic children often say that other people simply think their child is naughty, while adults find that they are misunderstood.

All autistic people can benefit from a timely diagnosis as well as ongoing support.

http://www.autism.org.uk/get-involved/world-autism-awareness-week.aspx

 

Would you know you were having a heart attack?

Men and women can both suffer the well-known tightness in the chest. However, sleep deprivation and anxiety are also symptoms for women. Did you know this? So would you know you were having a heart attack?

According to Joseph Fritz the symptoms of a heart attack can vary wildly between men and women.

Both men and women can suffer chest tightness and pain or pressure in the chest, neck, jaw, arms or back. Unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, coughing, feeling sick and vomiting are also symptoms experienced by both genders.

Male symptoms;
– weakness
– breaking into a cold sweat
– dizziness

Female symptoms;
– sleep disturbance
– anxiety
– indigestion

Although this is a good starting point, Dr Fritz also urged people to remember each heart attack is different and as a result everyone’s symptoms will be slightly different.

Always remember, never ignore any possible symptoms of a heart attack, and get medical attention immediately.

http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Heart-attack/Pages/Introduction.aspx

 

A Woman calls for greater epilepsy awareness after son’s tragic death following a seizure at his home.

The mother of a man who died after having an epileptic seizure is trying to raise awareness of the risks of the condition.

Angela Middlehurst, from Parr in Merseyside, lost her 23-year-old son Ethan in February, after he had an epileptic seizure.

Angela, 42, stated that Ethan only developed the condition when he was 18 following a punch to the face which resulted in a broken jaw.

Angela, who also has sons Liam, 25 and Mathew, 13, said: “Our son developed epilepsy after being punched in the face by a doorman on his second ever night out in St Helens, just after turning 18. His jaw was broken on both sides and he had to have titanium plates fitted. Within a month of this he suffered his first seizure.”

According to sources the punch incident was investigated by police but no-one was ever arrested or charged.

Former St Cuthbert’s High School student Ethan studied mechanical engineering at St Helens College. He was passionate about rock music and had his own allotment, where he kept chickens and grew vegetables.

Angela said at the time of the punch incident, Ethan had been due to go into the army as a mechanical engineer but this had not been possible due to the epilepsy he had developed as a result.

She said: “At first the seizures were quite regular and it took a while to get the medication right and then it seemed to calm down. He had one or two seizures every few months. Before Christmas he moved out of the family house into his own flat – his dad and I weren’t keen on the idea but he kept saying he wanted to live a normal life. He was alone when he had the seizure, with no-one to help”.

Ethan with his baby brother Matthew

Ethan with his baby brother Matthew

“The coroner’s report came back that he had been eating at the time of the seizure – his airway had been blocked. We are heart-broken, it’s devastating.”

Angela said: “Ethan passed away during an epileptic seizure. As a family we are completely devastated at the loss of our beautiful, loving son.

“We want to get a message out there: sufferers, especially younger sufferers, need to be more aware of the dangers of their epilepsy”.

“My son never really took his epilepsy seriously. We were not given enough information about the dangers of epilepsy by any medical professional, no guidance or even leaflets.”

She added: “Every epilepsy sufferer and their family needs to know the full dangers of epilepsy, so that less families go through what we are going through now.”

Members of the family are taking part in a fundraiser this Saturday (March 26), which is Global Epilepsy Awareness Day

For information about epilepsy visit www.epilepsysociety.org.uk or call the Epilepsy Helpline on freephone 0808 800 5050.

Health and Safety gone mad when leisure centre refuses to let teacher use defibrillator on dying colleague

A member of staff working at a leisure centre refuses to let teacher use defibrillator on dying colleague and blames it on ‘health and safety’.

A leisure centre has been blasted for refusing to let school staff use its defibrillator to restart a dying teacher’s heart – because it breached their health and safety policy.

Teacher Georgina Eade, aged 37, collapsed whilst teaching her year one class at St Andrew’s Primary School in Halstead. Knowing there was a defibrillator nearby, one of her colleagues rushed to nearby Halstead Leisure Centre to ask if she could borrow its defibrillator.

But despite the life threatening emergency the leisure centre bosses said she could not take it for health and safety reasons.

Thankfully, teachers performed CPR on Georgina until paramedics arrived and managed to restart her heart with their own defibrillator.

She was flown to hospital by air ambulance in what was described as a serious condition. However, she is now recovering well.

Georgina’s father, John Eade, has criticised the centre for its response saying; “I cannot believe that the leisure centre would not give them the defibrillator. I find it appalling. I don’t know if you have to be on the leisure centre’s premises before they will let you use it but there was obviously someone who needed it, just across the fields.

It was thanks to her quick thinking and well trained colleagues who performed CPR on her until the ambulance arrived that Georgina is here today. Bridgette Gouch, the headteacher, praised his staff for their heroic actions that saved their colleagues life.

The school is now planning to buy its own defibrillator after the recent events.

If you would like to learn first aid or how to use a defibrillator then get booked onto one of our public courses today.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/leisure-centre-blames-health-safety-7582962

 

Aquatic and Outdoor First Aid courses for Clubs, Coaches and Leaders

Paddle Sport coaches and leaders for the BCU (British Canoe Union) and the SCA (Scottish Canoe Association) have to hold a valid first aid certificate to maintain there award.

‘New rules came into force in January 2012 stating that all coaches at Level 3 and above have to hold a ‘2 day’ first aid qualification and those at or below Level 2 are required to attend a specific ‘8 hour’ course (Aquatic First Aid).’

The National School of First Aid Training is on the BCU’s list of approved providers as we are an ITC Approved and regulated first aid course provider.

  • For instructors, coaches and other outdoor professionals our 2 day Outdoor First Aid course is recommended.
  • For canoe clubs, the 8 hour Outdoor First Aid course is very popular.

Our outdoor first aid courses all deal with outdoor incident management and improved techniques using items such as buoyancy aids, jackets, gaffer tape, paddles,throw ropes etc.

In-house or public course?

It is much better for you and the relevance of the training you receive for us to come to you and deliver a course at your centre Doing this means we can get to know and fully understand your needs, requirements and concerns, structuring your course around these to give you the best experience possible.

In-house course work out on average 70% cheaper than public courses.
They also have a lot of added benefits for your instructors.

We have a number of public course running throughout the country, please see our course calendar for dates and locations.

Need more details?… Want to know more?…

First aid training/course requirements for British Canoe Union (BCU) awards and paddle instructors have been notoriously complex.

We have a number of different first aid courses that will meet the requirements for your BCU award(s). These courses and qualifications will also meet with other NGB’s first aid requirements for your ‘licence to practice’.

Depending on what award you have, will depend what course you need to complete (as a minimum) to maintain your BCU award. The BCU first aid requirements are based on the length of course, there for we have decided to split the list of approved courses up based on their duration.

British Canoe Union (BCU) First Aid Training Courses

4 Hour Course

  • Appointed Person Certificate (we have a specific Appointed Persons first aid award, however if this is booked as an in-house course we will contextualise it to BCU/Outdoor requirements and award it as an ‘Appointed Persons Certificate for the Outdoors’)

6+ Hour Courses (from 01/01/2012 this is acceptable for the 1-day requirement):

8+ Hour Courses (from 01/01/2012 these are acceptable for 1-day requirement):

(all of these options are formal qualifications not just awards)

2+ Day (Minimum 12 hours) Courses:

  • ITC Outdoor First Aid (Level 3) (this is seen as a more ‘pure’ outdoor first aid course than the SCQF version as its designed as an Outdoor First Aid qualification from its conception as opposed to being build opon the EFAW as the SCQF one is)
  • ITC Outdoor First Aid Certificate (SCQF Level 5) (for years this was the ONLY official Outdoor First Aid qualification you could get and was the bench mark for all others, we also offer an optionl extra Emergency First Aid at Work qualification with this one)
  • ITC Outdoor First Aid Incident Management (this course can be bespoked to your exact requirements and needs and is certificated through our Ofqual and SQA authorised & regulated awarding body)
  • ITC Advanced Outdoor First Aid (ideally you will already have an OFA qualification)
  • First Aid at Work (QCF Level 3) (3 day course – we would advise against this course as it does not include some basic water related first aid subjects e.g. Hypothermia!)
  • First Aid at Work (SCQF Level 6) (3 day course – we would advise against this course as it does not include some basic water related first aid subjects e.g. Hypothermia!)

How do I know if a First Aid course is going to be OK?

  • Check the length of course required for your Coaching/Leadership qualification
  • Check if the course appears on the list above, if not/and
    1. Ultimately check with the BCU/your centre manager or club chairman
    2. Give us a call or drop us an email

Links: Please see the links below for further information (click on the titles):

Toddler ‘brought back from the dead’ by CPR after falling into an algae-filled pond

A toddler who fell into a pond filled with algae in China and drowned was pulled to safety by local villagers who gave him CPR for 30 minutes.

When villagers arrived at the scene one child was floating face down in the water while another one was floundering around screaming for help.

Villagers grabbed a bamboo stick and helped the child to safety while another villager jumped into the pond and carried the unconscious child to dry land.

Once out, the child was turned upside down in an effort to remove the algae from his mouth prior to commencing CPR.

The villagers took it in turns to perform CPR on the child until he miraculously began to breath.

The toddler was incredibly lucky because according to statistics less than 1% of the Chinese population know how to administer first aid.

Since this incident only a few weeks ago, the Chinese government has launched a series of education initiatives to help save lives.

Christine Kidman, a schoolworker saved the life of a boy who collapsed during football practice a day after she completed a CPR course.

A school business manager has been hailed a hero after battling for 15 minutes to save the life of a seven-year-old boy who collapsed during football practice.

Christine Kidman rushed onto the sports field and performed emergency CPR to keep Harrison Lovett alive after he stopped breathing.

It was only a day earlier that Christine, 53, had taken a refresher course in CPR.

Christine was working in the office at Peter Gladwin Primary School in Portslade, East Sussex, when Harrison suddenly fell to the ground at his after school football club.

Harrison’s parents said that it was her first aid training that kept Harrison alive before his heart could be restarted when paramedics arrived with a defibrillator.

Relieved father Alex Lovett said, “Word’s cannot express our admiration and love for the lady who saved our son’s life”.

Harrison’s parents were told that the CPR that Christine carried out had indeed saved their son’s life.

Harrison was found to have suffered from arrhythmia, an undiagnosed irregular heartbeat, but the quick reactions of Christine meant he could be revived by the medical staff.

The manager, who normally focuses on the school budget, said, “It was so lucky I had just completed a CPR refresher course 24 hours earlier and my training just kicked in. My 18-year-old son was organising the after-school football club when he came racing over to say Harrison had collapsed on the pitch. He wasn’t breathing and trying to save him was the longest 15 minutes of my life. I was too busy working on Harrison to really think what might be the outcome”.

If you would like more information of CPR or defibrillators, or would like to get yourself trained in first aid then get in touch via our website www.nationalschooloffirstaidtraining.co.uk

Supermarket staff member saves toddler from choking

Supermarket staff member saves toddler from choking after she got a Smartie stuck in her throat.

Lily-Mae Martine from Bromyard, Herefordshire began to turn blue and struggled for breath after she got half of one of the chocolate treats stuck in her throat in a Morrisons store.

Her mother Charlotte Martine, 26, frantically tried to dislodge the Smartie but it remained trapped in the 22-month-old’s throat.

Luckily, staff member Claire Fish, 42, heard the commotion from a nearby aisle she rushed to the help the toddler.

She firmly struck Lily-Mae between her shoulder blades which removed the chocolate fragment and allowed her to breathe again.

Mum Charlotte said “We were in the last aisle which is freezer stuff so we were nearly finished when she just began to choke.

“I grabbed her and started whacking her on the back. I thought she had got it out but she hadn’t, I started panicking.

“My mum had a go as well and then members of staff came and they shouted on the tannoy for first aiders to come”.

Staff member Claire rushed over and gave Lily-Mae a harder whack and managed to get it out.

“Lily-Mae had gone very blue. It felt like hours but it wasn’t, it was like slow-motion. It was horrific but Claire did the right thing and did a remarkable job, she definitely saved her life”.

Heroic Claire said: “It was all a bit of a blur. She couldn’t breathe in, and her little lips had gone blue. It is just instinct. It brought it all back to me. I just thought I have got to get it out. I just wanted her to breathe.”

Claire was able to help Lily-Mae as she had done a first aid course recently and learned how to deal with choking. If you would like to learn some first aid basics so you know what to do in this situation then get yourself booked onto one of our training courses.

All new drivers to learn first aid – a good idea? What are your thoughts? Read the below information and make your decision

A new Bill is being debated in Parliament today which could mean that all new drivers are required to learn first aid.

This bill follows the failed attempt to get all school children first aid trained in a bill that was rejected last November.

The bill would require those learning to drive to attend a four-hour practical first aid course as part of receiving a driving licence.

1,780 people have been killed on British roads in the last 12 months and a total of 23,700 were seriously injured.

A survey found that 59% of people in Britain wouldn’t feel confident enough to save a life at the scene of an accident. Shockingly around 24% would do nothing until an ambulance arrived.

The Bill would ensure motorists were equipped with basic first aid skills which could help save thousands of lives each year. This would not only be on Britain’s roads, but in a range of emergency situations.

Many other European countries such as Switzerland and Germany, already have first aid as a mandatory requirement for obtaining a driving licence.

Joe Mulligan, the head of first aid education, said:

“Where someone is seriously injured or fighting for their lives, every second counts. It is vital that the first person on the scene of a road traffic accident – who will most likely be another driver – knows how to keep someone alive. Just knowing how to roll an unconscious but breathing casualty onto their side and lift their chin can be all it takes to save a life.”

Figures show that around 63% of the UK population aged between 21 and 29 have a driving licence. Think how many lives could be saved if this bill was to be passed.

If you would like to become first aid trained then get in contact.

New App brings Medical Help Fast before Cardiac Arrest

In an effort to bring help when it is needed most, a new App to help in emergencies has been introduced. These applications aim to bring help when you witness a cardiac arrest.

In the UK, the London Ambulance Service has started using an app called GoodSAM.

In the US, there’s a similar system called PulsePoint and in Stockholm, Sweden, there is an app called SMS-Lifesavers which has been running since 2010.

With the use of this App in Sweden a study has been done which found that bystander-initiated CPR increased from 48% to 62%.

GoodSAM has been used by the London Ambulance Service for about five months. It lets bystanders call emergency services with the push of a button. It also sends alerts to up to three nearby trained first responders. Another great feature allows ambulance crews to send an alert to first responders who are near an incident and may be able to get to the patient before they can.

A video stream feature has also been added to the app so that bystanders can transmit a live video feed to the first responders. It helps the first responders see what they’re going to be dealing with, and to get the proper equipment organised. It can also help prevent someone from providing incorrect first aid through misdiagnosis.

GoodSAM is building up a map of defibrillator locations so they can be easily found by responders using the app. In Stockholm, they now have a lot of patients that are defibrillated within the first 5 minutes of a cardiac arrest, and have seen a 70% survival rate.

Here’s hoping to see the App go nationwide in the near future. If so would you get the new App to help in emergencies?

Parents urge others to learn first aid after their neighbour saves toddler who stopped breathing.

A couple whose two-year-old son’s life was saved by a neighbour are now determined to learn first aid and are urging all parents to do the same.

Kirsty and Lewis Mulholland, from Warboys in Cambridgeshire, believe parents should equip themselves with life-saving skills so they never have to suffer the feelings of blind panic and helplessness they experienced when their son Buddy stopped breathing.

On 28th January Mum, Kirsty, had taken their nine-month-old daughter Bonnie to the doctor as she was unwell. The doctor diagnosed a viral infection. By the afternoon, it seemed Buddy was suffering from the same infection as he was lethargic and off his food.

Kirsty gave him medication to bring down his temperature and then started putting him to bed. She’d just finished reading his story when he suffered a febrile convulsion.

“His eyes rolled back in his head, his jaw was locked and he was fitting,” said Kirsty. “I ran downstairs with him, shouting at Lewis to call an ambulance. Everything was a blur at the time but all I could think of was that I had to get him to my neighbour who works for St John Ambulance.”

Kirsty ran across her garden to the home of St John Ambulance trainer Jim Smith who lives two doors away. Before she reached Jim’s house, Buddy stopped breathing.

“My wife Tina and I were watching television when there was a knock at the door and there was Kirsty with Buddy who was lifeless and not breathing,” he said.

“I grabbed the child and put him on the floor to assess him. He was completely unresponsive so I started resuscitation while Tina was looking after Kirsty. I gave him a couple of rescue breaths but didn’t get as far as chest compressions as he gave a sudden gasp and started breathing again.”

“He opened his eyes and I called to his mum that he was ok. But then he lost consciousness again so I put him in the recovery position while we waited for the ambulance to arrive.”

“You just never think something like this is going to happen to you,” said Kirsty. “But now I know it can happen to anyone, anywhere at any time. I keep thinking about what would have happened if it hadn’t been for Jim. He’s my guardian angel and I’ll never be able to repay him.”

If this article has inspired you to get yourself first aid trained then visit our website for our list of up-to-date public courses.

With the colder weather now setting in, it’s a great time to get out and have those much loved snowball fights. However, the snow can be hazardous and carries its own unique special dangers. Below are a few key tips to staying safe in the snow.

As we all know the roads, pavements and driveways can become very icy in the colder weather and there is a very high chance of slipping and falling. Some of these falls can just result in an embarrassing moment and a few bruises, but other can be a lot more serious.

A fall on the ice can result in a sprain or a strain which happen when the joint or muscles are stretched too far. There is a simple method to treat a strain or sprain and it’s easy to remember – RICE. It stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation.

  • REST; Rest the injured limb. You will need to take the weight off it to give it time to recover.
  • ICE; Ice the injury. Put ice on the injured area to prevent swelling and held there for twenty minutes every hour. Ensure that the ice is wrapped in a cloth first, never apply ice directly to the skin.
  • COMPRESSION; Compress the injury. Wrap a bandage or support around the injured limb. Compression gives the injured area support as well as helping to reduce swelling.
  • ELEVATION; Elevate the limb. Elevate the injured limb above the heart. This makes it more difficult for the heart to pump blood to the injured area therefore reducing the swelling.

If you think you have a sprain or strain it is advised to get the injured area looked at by a doctor to check that it is healing ok and that it is nothing more serious.

If you suspect someone has a broken bone or fracture this needs to be dealt with differently. Firstly it is important not to move the injured person unless they are in danger. Do not try to put the injured limb back into place, instead it needs to be immobilised. If you have been trained to do so then apply a splint, if not then help the casualty to keep the limb as still as possible while you wait for help to arrive.

If you’re reading this article wishing you had more knowledge so you knew what to do in these types of situations, then get yourself booked onto one of our training courses.

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