Lesson in life saving creates new generation of life savers

NORTH West Ambulance Service (NWAS), along with St John Ambulance and British Red Cross, took part in the UK’s biggest ever mass CPR training event on:- 'Restart a Heart Day'; 18 October 2016; by giving lessons in life saving to almost 20,000 young people from secondary schools across the North West.  Restart a Heart Day was spearheaded by Resuscitation Council UK; a professional body that aims to improve cardiac arrest survival rates; which, for the 1st time, set the country’s Ambulance Services a target of training over 100,000 people in the UK in basic life support skills in one day.

Almost 300 staff and volunteers from NWAS, St John Ambulance, British Red Cross and other partners including Fire and Rescue services, gave up their own time to provide free life saving CPR lessons on the day.

There were 56 schools involved in the North West. Each school was visited by a small group of volunteers who delivered 1 hour sessions to different class sizes throughout the day. A short presentation outlining how to act in a cardiac arrest situation was provided to each class. This was followed by a practical element where every young person got to test out their #CPRhands on a ‘Mini Anne’ CPR manikin.

Complementary Resources Manager at North West Ambulance Service, David McNally, said:- "We are thrilled 55 schools signed up to our lesson in lifesaving on Restart a Heart Day, because it is a sad fact that cardiac arrest kills people of all ages and from all walks of life. 80% of out of Hospital cardiac arrests occur in the home, so knowing what to do in this extreme emergency situation cannot be underestimated. In a cardiac arrest situation, the only way a person can survive is with CPR and defibrillation. These are simple skills to learn which really do save lives."

Over 30,000 people have cardiac arrests outside of Hospital in the UK every year. If this happens in front of a bystander who starts CPR immediately before the arrival of paramedics, the patient's chances of survival double.

Currently in the UK, where there is no basic life support training on the national curriculum, less than 1 in 10 people (8.6%) survive a cardiac arrest. In places such as Norway, where CPR is taught in Schools, survival rates are 25%. If this was achieved in the UK, an additional 5,000 lives could be saved each year.

Meet the Mersey mum who will walk on fire to say thanks to NHS staff

A mum who spent almost 2 months in intensive care is walking over hot coals to show her gratitude to staff at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.  40 year old Victoria Threadgold will take part in R Charity’s firewalk to raise funds for the Critical Care Unit in the new Royal, after receiving life saving treatment 2 years ago. 

In August 2014, Victoria, a technical claims handler and mum of 2 from Allerton, started to feel unwell one day in work.  Victoria didn’t know it, but her bowel had burst. She was brought into the Royal over the weekend and following admission she was rushed for emergency treatment. Victoria said:- "I’ve been a patient at the Royal since 2008. I have Crohn’s disease, however I looked quite well for someone with a long term condition.  I remember coming into the Hospital and everything else that happened up until about 10pm on the Saturday evening, but after that I took a turn for the worse."

Victoria underwent surgery in the early hours to remove part of her bowel, but following her surgery, Victoria developed sepsis; a life threatening blood condition that without immediate treatment, can lead to multiple organ failure and death.  She said:- "The doctor said to my husband that we had to see if I made it through the night. It must have been a shock for him to see me go from being fit and well to life threateningly ill within the space of 48 hours."

Victoria was moved to the Intensive Care Unit at the Royal, where she received specialist care from staff to help her recover. Victoria spent 52 days in the Royal receiving treatment that saved her life. In this time Victoria’s weight dropped to as low as 6st 10lbs and required round the clock care; something she is extremely grateful for.  She said:- "I think I’ve used every NHS service possible, from my regular Crohn’s treatment to the emergency care I received during what was a difficult and worrying time for my family.  I owe a lot to the staff who saved my life. It was a long, long process, but I’m lucky to have made it through. My family told me just how dedicated the staff were during my time in intensive care. I’ve bumped into some of the nurses and consultants who looked after me. They ask how I’m getting on, which is really nice considering how many people they must treat."

Victoria left Hospital in October 2014 after almost 2 months of treatment and has since celebrated her 40th birthday with family and friends, including her 4 year old son Jack and 10 year old daughter Lottie. She said:- "We had a big party which was brilliant. Going through what I went through makes you realise how important the people who are around you are. But it’s something I wouldn’t have been around to see if things had gone differently."

Following her recovery, Victoria wanted a way to show her appreciation to all the staff who cared for her and helped with her recovery. She said:- "I want to do my bit as my way of giving back to the staff. I saw the opportunity to sign up to a fire walk around bonfire night and thought I’d give it a go.  I’ve told a few people about it and they think I’m mad! It’s a challenge, but I just want to say thank you."

Victoria will take part in R Charity’s firewalk at Liverpool ONE on Tuesday 1 November to raise money for the Critical Care Unit in the new Royal, as part of their £10million Appeal.  You can donate to Victoria’s firewalk challenge at: JustGiving.Com.  To find out more about this year’s firewalk, call:- 0151 706 3150 or visit the her Facebook Page.