Thousands of pupils in North Yorkshire to learn CPR
It's part of Yorkshire Ambulance Service's Restart a Heart Day
Thousands of pupils across North Yorkshire will learn CPR today.
42 schools are signed up to Yorkshire Ambulance Service's Restart a Heart Day.
Students in Bedale, Catterick Garrison, Harrogate, Knaresborough, Malton, Northallerton, Ripon, Richmond, Scarborough, Selby, Settle, Skipton, Stokesley, Thirsk, Whitby and York will be among those learning the skill which can double the chances of someone surviving a cardiac arrest. People living in North Yorkshire are also being urged to watch the video to give them the confidence to step up and act in the ultimate medical emergency.
Yorkshire Paramedic Tristan Metcalfe says: “CPR is really easy to learn and the impact you can have could literally be the difference between life and death for someone. We are really grateful to Dynamic for developing this fantastic video which shows just how straightforward it is to step in and make the difference in these situations where every second counts. I'm super proud to be part of helping others to learn this skill and of everyone who is getting involved with Restart a Heart Day. Together, we can help more people be confident to take action and potentially save a life.”
Every year in the UK, more than 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital - an alarming statistic made even more sobering by the fact that 80% of these incidents occur at home. Tragically, fewer than one in ten survive. These figures highlight the urgent need for wider CPR knowledge, as anyone could find themselves needing to save the life of a friend, family member, or neighbour.
However, recent St John Ambulance research showed that a third of the British public are afraid to give CPR to a woman because they are worried about touching breasts. The same survey found that 38% of Britons said they would feel uncomfortable using a defibrillator on a woman, as its pads need to be placed on bare skin in the chest area, requiring the removal of a woman’s bra.
For the first time on Restart a Heart Day, Yorkshire Ambulance Service will be using female manikins for the CPR training at one of the participating schools to help break down barriers and stigma associated with providing life-saving assistance to women.
Jason Carlyon, Community Engagement Manager with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “In a cardiac arrest, the technique for giving CPR is the same for both women and men. The issue is that women are less likely to receive bystander CPR in public than men are, which can lead to lower survival rates. By introducing anatomically accurate female manikins into our training sessions, we can highlight this disparity and normalise CPR on all body types to help overcome common hesitation.”