Emergency and hospital teams are joining forces this month to help the public become lifesavers, with free CPR training events taking place across Cambridge in the lead-up to Restart a Heart Day.
Organised by Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH) in collaboration with Magpas Air Ambulance, East Anglian Air Ambulance, East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and Royal Papworth Hospital, the project will culminate in a major community event on Thursday, 16 October, at Cambridge Guildhall, Lion Yard and the Grand Arcade.
A live band will set the tempo with songs at 100–120 beats per minute — the rhythm needed for effective chest compressions. Residents, workers, shoppers and students are invited to spend a few minutes learning lifesaving CPR techniques from frontline clinicians including paramedics, nurses, doctors and trained volunteers. No booking is needed, and no prior medical knowledge is required.
This year’s event will also include awareness and hands-on training in the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) — simple, portable devices that can deliver a life-saving shock to someone in cardiac arrest.
While AEDs are designed to be used by anyone, a recent survey found that only 11 per cent of people felt totally confident about using a defibrillator correctly. Organisers hope that by demystifying AEDs and giving people the chance to practise with them, more will feel empowered to act quickly in an emergency.
Last year saw over 600 people trained in a day, and this year organisers hope to arm even more people with the skills and confidence to act in a medical emergency.
CUH resuscitation officer (pictured above) Dan Shortland, said:
When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Knowing how to perform CPR can literally be the difference between life and death. These short sessions could empower you to save a loved one, a colleague or even a stranger.
Dan Shortland
Out-of-hospital cardiac arrests affect around 30,000 people each year in the UK, but survival rates remain low. Bystander CPR can double or triple someone’s chance of survival - but only if the public are equipped and willing to step in.
Fellow CUH resuscitation officer, Sian Leader, (pictured above) added:
This is our third year of hosting events like this and is part of a wider national initiative led by the Resuscitation Council UK. The ultimate aim is to increase awareness and create a generation of lifesavers across the country.
Sian Leader
Training will focus on the adult patient. This training does not constitute mandatory training, so is not appropriate for those requiring certification for professional needs.