High school children needed for teaching lifesaving CPR and defibrillator skills

London Ambulance Service is aiming to train thousands of school children how to save a life as part of an ambitious campaign to create a generation of lifesavers.

London Lifesavers is funded through a grant provided by NHS Charities Together to our charity, London Ambulance Charity

Most people don’t have the confidence to use a defibrillator but we are teaching children that they are simple and safe to use and will never harm a person in cardiac arrest.

Action: High schools are asked to register their interest in the London Lifesavers school programme. To do this complete the London Lifesavers form.

Did you know

• When someone has a cardiac arrest their heart has stopped beating and without help they will die.
• A person’s best chance of survival is if chest compressions are performed and a defibrillator is used in the minutes before an ambulance arrives.
• In London, 76 per cent of cardiac arrests happen at home. Children who learn these skills could end up saving the life of someone they love.
• For every minute in cardiac arrest, the chances of survival decreases.
• At the moment, fewer than one in 10 people survive cardiac arrest but we know survival rates can more than double in cities where these skills are taught in schools.
• Year 8s are the optimal age for teaching these skills to – they are strong enough to perform effective CPR and old enough to share this knowledge with their families.

Ealing statistics

London Lifesavers has identified Ealing as a priority for training in these life-saving skills based on these indicators. Their figures show the borough has:

• The fourth highest cardiac arrest score in London (based on cardiac arrest incidents, rates of bystander CPR, survival rates, number of defibrillators)
• The second lowest bystander CPR rate
• The sixth biggest share of ethnic minority residents (where we see an increased rate of cardiovascular disease)

Contact London Lifesavers

If you would like to hear more about how you can support our campaign please visit our website Become a London Lifesaver - London Ambulance Service NHS Trust or contact londamb.londonlifesaver@nhs.net