Thursday 29 August 2024: Only four in 10 people know the first aid skills needed to save someone bleeding out, suffering a cardiac arrest or choking, according to new research* from health charity St John Ambulance – which launches its Save a Life September campaign today.
These were the three first aid topics people most wanted to learn about, with two-thirds (66%) saying severe bleed first aid should be taught due to the rise in knife crime.
St John is responding by teaching 50,000 people these life-saving skills through public events, online advice and by giving away free first aid pocket guides this autumn.
The research found six in 10 (59%) people do not know or are unsure how to respond to someone with a serious bleed, such as one caused by stabbing.
Only four in 10 (43%) people know how to give CPR to someone in cardiac arrest and less than a third (32%) would know how to use a defibrillator. Only 44% of people know how to give basic back blows to someone choking.
More than a quarter surveyed (26%) said they had never learned any first aid and nearly half (49%) said they would feel panicked if they came across a health emergency due to their lack of training.
St John Ambulance head of community education, Carl Makins, said: “This September we plan to show thousands of members of the public how to save lives, focusing on the first aid that they most want to learn. Tragically, due to the rise in knife crime, it feels particularly relevant to be teaching people how to treat severe blood loss.
“It’s vital more of us within our communities know how to respond to the life-threatening situations which many of us will sadly face in our lives.
“There are nearly 300 deaths a year due to choking, yet more than half of us don’t know how to give back blows to clear someone’s airway. We also know that giving CPR and using a defibrillator can more than double someone’s chance of survival. It’s so often those quick actions taken by people who find themselves first on scene in the critical minutes before an ambulance arrives, that make the difference between life and death.”
Visit Save a Life September to find out more about our public demonstrations, view first aid advice and order your free pocket first aid guide before the end of September.
*The research was conducted by Censuswide, among a UK nationally representative sample of 1000 people. The data was collected between 17-7-24 and 19-7-24.
Censuswide abides by and employs members of the Market Research Society and follows the MRS code of conduct and ESOMAR principles. Censuswide is also a member of the British Polling Council.
