Thatcham volunteers to be taught to save lives
A new scheme called Heartstart is calling on volunteers in Thatcham and the surrounding area to learn Emergency Life Support (ELS) skills so they can help save someone’s life.
Life-threatening emergencies occur every day and the British Heart Foundation’s new initiative will teach members of the public what to do to keep someone alive until professional help arrives.
ELS includes performing CPR (chest compressions and rescue breathing), dealing with choking and serious bleeding, and how to recognise the signs and symptoms of a heart attack.
A BHF spokesperson said “It is vital that we all know what to do to help keep someone alive in an emergency. A bystander, often a relative or friend, with no medical expertise is likely to be first person on the scene. Learning the simple skills that save lives through Heartstart can make all the difference.”
Every year around 124,000 people in the UK suffer a heart attack, many of them suffering a cardiac arrest and dying before they reach the hospital. Without resuscitation, cardiac arrest is always fatal but by performing CPR you could double a person’s chance of survival.
To find out more about Heartstart in Thatcham contact [email protected] and www.heartstartthatcham.info.
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