First Aid

Inclusive first aid proves a success

As the inclusive first aid programme hits its final year of Lottery support, signs are that the project is in the rudest of health.
In the last twelve months alone, the 11 Areas involved in the first phase of the programme have organised more than 650 training events, reaching 2,500 disabled people and 600 carers and family members. The organisation has already exceeded its target to involve 210 inclusive first aid trainers by the end of 2009.

Important skills
According to Mark Beagan, inclusive first aid manager: "The project has been a great success so far but we still have some way to go towards our target of training 5,000 people by autumn next year. Now that we're rolling out the programme across every UK Area, we still want more people to sign up as inclusive trainers."
At a recent inclusive first aid course in Dorset, one participant - Pat - demonstrated both the success of these courses and their importance. Initially nervous, she was soon excitedly taking part and learning quickly. And she later explained: "My mum had a pain in her heart and has got medicine she takes all the time. I've got to look after her - she's all I've got."
The British Red Cross will promote the inclusive first aid programme during World First Aid Day on 13 September.

What is inclusive first aid?

Inclusive first aid is a unique programme designed to work with groups or individuals who may require a more flexible approach to learning first aid skills.

For example, someone with a mobility impairment may not be able to use their hands to deliver chest compressions to a casualty who is not breathing. Our trainers will consider the basic requirement of this skill - to apply pressure in the middle of the casualty's chest - and work with a person's ability to teach a suitable alternative, such as delivering compressions with an elbow or the heel of the foot.

Who can get involved?

We work in partnership with organisations whose clients are disabled, including:

* schools
* day centres
* youth groups
* membership or specialist disability organisations.

How does the programme work?

We will work with your organisation to build courses around the specific needs and abilities of your clients, ensuring that essential first aid skills can be learned.

Just as importantly, the trainer will ensure that the student has a good understanding of the skill so that they could instruct a passer-by in what to do in the event of an emergency.

Young first aid hero helps knife victim

First aid novice Lauren Knubbley showed how a little training can go a long way when she gave vital treatment to a knife wound victim under very difficult circumstances.
Lauren (17), who recently completed a Red Cross basic first aid training course, was travelling home with her father from a first aid roadshow in Whitby when they spotted the police alongside two young men lying prone in the street.
Lauren's father, Mick Askham, remembered: "The two young men had obviously been injured in some sort of attack or street fight. Since the police weren't carrying any first aid gear, they were grateful when Lauren and I stopped to help."

Emergency support

The father-daughter team immediately stepped into action, Lauren getting medical equipment from the car while her dad assessed the casualties. She said: "This was my first incident and I kept thinking to myself: just stay calm. I was fine, though - all the things I'd learned during first aid training came back to me so I knew what to do."

She explained: "One lad had been hit hard over the head with a cricket stump - his head was split open and he kept slipping in and out of consciousness. The other had been stabbed near the top of his leg and was bleeding badly.

"My dad went straight over to treat the lad with the head injury, talking to him all the while to try and keep him awake. Meanwhile, I then joined a police officer to treat the other man's knife injury, while dad shouted over instructions and told us what to do."

Knife wound

Mick added: "The man Lauren and the police officer helped had a nasty knife wound close to the femoral artery in his leg, so they applied direct pressure and placed a pad over the wound. They also treated the guy for shock while waiting for the ambulance to arrive."

After five minutes, things took a sharp turn for the worse when large gangs of young men returned to the scene and continued their altercation with the police just ten yards away from the first aiders.

Lauren recalled: "They started shouting and threatening each other right next to us - it was really intimidating. You think: 'Am I in danger here?' But we just carried on helping the casualties - with all this trouble going on around us - until the ambulances arrived.

Courageous support

Having managed to keep her cool, the impact of the incident only came later. The young first aider recalled: "Afterwards, all the shock seem to come at once and I felt quite shaken up for a little bit, but then I was fine. Looking back, I'm very pleased that we got involved and helped."

Mick added: "Lauren showed fantastic nerve for a 17-year-old with only basic first aid skills. There's no doubt that her and the police officer's actions - stemming the casualty's bleeding and keeping him still - helped the guy before the ambulance arrived."