UK: A recent findings by St. John Ambulance that 140,000 people in the UK die each year in situations where first aid could have saved them, has led a renowned UK training company, Aid Training, to call for first aid education in schools to be made compulsory in order to help reduce this number.

First aid is a mandatory subject for Welsh and Northern Ireland pupils, but in England and Scotland it is only an option within the curriculum. In a survey where more than 1,500 school children took part, 7/10 said they would not know how to help in an emergency and 8/10 said that they would feel safer if they had some first aid knowledge.

Over 400,000 children are injured each year at school, compulsory first aid training can save lives and ensure minor injuries don’t become major ones.

The Aid Training campaign involves a Twitition – an online petition using Twitter to encourage the public to sign and support the cause. Aid Training is then offering one school the opportunity to receive first aid training for pupils. Any school can be nominated for the chance for two trainers to attend the school for a day to train as many pupils as feasible in basic first aid skills.

Paul Hosking, Managing Director at Aid Training said: “There aren’t enough first aiders in the UK, only 7% of the UK population can recall first aid advice. This campaign aims for children to be taught first aid from an early age and throughout education so that one day they could be able to save a life.”

Around 2,500 people die each year from a blocked airway, but if someone had known the recovery position, lives could be saved. The British Red Cross estimates that of the 5.5 million people who visit A&E each year due to an accident, about 3 million have injuries that would have benefitted from some form of first aid treatment. This shows the extent to which injuries from accidents can often be prevented by sufficient first aid.

Mr Hosking added: “97% of young people said they believed first aid education would improve their skills to act in a crisis. Training in schools would give people the confidence to respond to emergency situations; it is a fundamental life skill…..literally!!"

***For more information on signing the Twitition visit www.aid-training.co.uk/news or to nominate your local school then visit www.facebook.com/aidtraining