Yorkshire Coast Schools Embrace "Restart a Heart" Day

Wednesday, 16 October 2024 06:00

By Matthew Pells

Hundreds of School children on the Yorkshire Coast will be receiving CPR training today as the annual "Restart a Heart" day take place.

Yorkshire Ambulance Service is hoping to improve cardiac arrest survival rates with its ambitious plan to teach CPR to more than 35,000 students on Restart a Heart Day.

More than 750 off-duty ambulance staff, Community First Responders and volunteers from partner organisations will visit 172 secondary schools to help deliver the life saving training.

Jason Carlyon is Community Engagement Manager at the Ambulance Service, he says the event has grown significantly over it's 11 year history.

According to preliminary data from the University of Warwick, Yorkshire Ambulance Service clinicians were successful in restarting 974 hearts in 2023 (compared to 933 the previous year). To help them restart even more hearts, it's vital that members of the public act immediately to perform CPR when someone has collapsed and stopped breathing.

Jason Carlyon, Community Engagement Manager with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said:

"What happens in the first few minutes after someone has suffered a cardiac arrest is vital. If bystanders can call 999 and start CPR while sending someone to retrieve the nearest defibrillator, that person's chances of survival can triple.

"We know about three students who took part in Restart a Heart Day last year who have since used CPR to help save the lives of parents which is incredible and really emphasises the importance of our campaign and knowing what to do."

Jason says with most cardiac arrests happening in the home, it's important for family members to have knowledge of CPR

When someone calls 999 for a patient in cardiac arrest, the call taker will ask a series of questions at the same time as help is being arranged and will also provide instructions about how to perform CPR and the location of the nearest defibrillator. It's vital that callers try to stay calm and give clear information.

Helen Smith, Dispatch Team Leader in the Emergency Operations Centre at Yorkshire Ambulance Service added:

"Learning how to perform CPR takes just a few moments and can give you the confidence and skills to act and change a life forever. However, if you do come across someone in cardiac arrest and are not sure what to do, when you ring 999 we will talk you through how to do effective CPR and how to access your nearest defibrillator. We are here to help and support you every step of the way. But whatever your skill level, it's vital that you stay calm and act fast."

Yorkshire Ambulance Service has provided free CPR training to more than 234,708 youngsters at the majority of secondary schools across Yorkshire since Restart a Heart Day began in Yorkshire in 2014.

Currently in the UK, less than one in ten (8.6%) people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. If we achieved the same survival rates of countries like Norway (25%), where CPR is taught in schools, an additional 100 lives could be saved each week - the equivalent of approximately 5,000 every year.

Supported by the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity, the event is delivered and promoted in partnership with the Resuscitation Council (UK), British Heart Foundation (BHF), St John Ambulance and the Red Cross.

Jason says it's all about giving people the confidence that they can perform CPR

Jason says having CPR on the School Curriculum will make a difference in the long term to the cardiac arrests survival rate.

Find out where you can learn CPR on the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Restart a Heart website https://restartaheart.yas.nhs.uk/about/where-can-i-learn-cpr/

Local Schools taking part in Restart A Heart day today include:

Scarborough