The Isle of Wight NHS Trust Ambulance Training & Community Response Services (ATCoRS) team have delivered Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training to Year 6 children of St Saviours Roman Catholic Primary School in Totland.
As an extra circular activity, the children participated in CPR training and learnt about the importance of early defibrillation in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Mrs Foster from St Saviours Primary School said:
“The session was very engaging, with lots of visual prompts and repetition which helped the children to remember what to do. Even those who had been a bit hesitant at the start felt confident to step up to the mannequins and have a go at delivering CPR.
“I was really impressed by their understanding of why first aid is so important. After the session, they could recall what to do and explain it to others. I’m sure that if they ever come across an emergency situation, they will be better prepared to deal with it as a result of the session”.
Louise Walker, Ambulance Education, Training & Engagement Lead, said:
“It really was an absolute pleasure to be able to personally teach year 6 at St Saviours, their engagement and enthusiasm to learn lifesaving skills was highly commendable”.
Ahead of Restart a Heart a day on 16th October the ATCoRS team are once again delivering free CPR training to Year 6 children across the Island, in a bid to make every child a lifesaver.
Louise continued:
“Primary schools across the island have recently welcomed four ATCoRS tutors, between them they taught over 600 children in just a few months which is incredible. We know that in the event of cardiac arrest, CPR and early defibrillation is hugely time critical so it’s wonderful that the schools have been able to accommodate the training.”
How to perform Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
When someone collapses and stops breathing normally, it is important to quickly call 999, perform hands-only CPR and use a defibrillator. Hands-only CPR reduces your risk of catching an infection.
Considering COVID-19, the steps you should take when performing CPR have changed but the need to perform CPR has not.
- If someone is collapsed and not breathing normally, do not put your face next to theirs
- Call for an ambulance
- Use a towel or piece of clothing and lay it over the mouth and nose
- Do not do mouth to mouth
- Start chest compressions to the tempo of “Stayin’ Alive”
- Use a Public Access Defibrillator if available
Further information about Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is available online at www.resus.org.uk including a video that explains the steps you should take if you see someone in cardiac arrest.
