National first aid awareness day 2nd August 2007
The UK's leading first
aid providers – St John Ambulance, St Andrew's Ambulance
Association and the British Red Cross - are urging the British
public to equip themselves with life-saving skills on
National first aid awareness day.
Following recent
research suggesting millions of Britons lack the knowledge to
undertake basic first aid procedures, the organisations recommend
that everyone should learn first aid as featured in DK's first aid
manual, which offers a comprehensive guide to treating casualties
in emergency situations.
First aid training is the best thing any of us can do. Having to revive your own child is a parent’s nightmare, but better that than watching helplessly
Gareth Bloomfield
St John Ambulance trained first aider
The research commissioned by the three voluntary organisations
and publishers Dorling Kindersley shows that only 1 in 3 people
consider themselves capable of performing the simplest of
techniques or treating minor household injuries. This lack of
knowledge means that people are ill equipped to deal with real-life
emergency situations.
Reassuringly, the research also found that two thirds of British
people would stop if they saw someone in need of first aid.
However, the majority would not be comfortable with one of the
fundamentals of first aid, CPR.
Drawing on hundreds of years of combined experience, the
Voluntary Aid Societies are the acknowledged experts in training
and practising first aid. Each society offers distinct charitable,
voluntary and training services, but all work together to raise
standards in first aid.
St John Ambulance run regular courses in
first aid. These courses are literally life saving. The courses
teach procedures for everyone to follow at home, in the workplace
or on holiday, and give the confidence to provide effective
first aid treatment anywhere, at anytime
- whether it's cuts and bruises, a
nosebleed or a heart attack.
Find out more about training St John
Ambulance provide.
The First Aid Manual (£12.99) -the only reference manual written
and endorsed by the UK's leading first aid providers, St John
Ambulance, St. Andrew's Ambulance Association and the British Red
Cross, and published by Dorling Kindersley - is a comprehensive
guide to treating casualties of all ages in any emergency. Buy a copy of the manual
from us.
*All statistics noted above are the results of
a survey commissioned in 2006 which was completed by nearly 2,400
people across the UK and undertaken by tickbox.net