Four ‘lifesaving’ bleed kits installed in Oxford City
The City Council says "these vital kits can really can save lives"
Bleed kits have been installed across Oxford city which are designed to save lives and treat severe bleeding before paramedics arrive.
The potentially lifesaving equipment has been installed at Barton Community Centre, Templars Square Shopping Centre, Blackbird Leys Leisure Centre and Blackbird Leys Top Shops.
Knife crime “destroys lives and changes lives forever”
The kits contain medical equipment, including tourniquets and gauze, to control bleeding and stabilize an injured person until professional medical help arrives.
Oxford City Council, Thames Valley Police, and actor Claire Nelson have been working together to install bleed kits across Oxford.
Claire performed Motherhood, a solo show about the impact of knife crime on parents, as part of the Offbeat festival and as part of the show, Claire wanted to raise money to install bleed kits across Oxford.
Ms Nelson said: “I was inspired to write this from some lived experience. This has made the writing and development of the show a very personal journey for me. Knife crime is an issue that confronts so many families, destroys lives and changes lives forever.”
Similar to defibrillators, the bleed kits are stored in secure cabinets on the outside of buildings. Emergency call handlers provide the key code access to the cabinets during an emergency incident.
Councillor Lubna Arshad, Cabinet Member for A Safer Oxford, said: “I hope these bleed kits are never used, but I also know they could potentially be lifesaving. Oxford is a city where safety is a top priority, and we are committed to making it safer every day.
“While knife crime remains rare here, we know that even one incident is one too many. These bleed kits are part of a larger strategy to ensure that our communities are prepared in the rare event of an emergency.
She added: “It's critical, we're talking about seconds and in an emergency every second counts. So, these vital kits can really can save lives.”