LEARNING to do CPR can save a life

Ludlow MP Philip Dunne has been brushing up his lifesaving skills by taking a refresher course in CPR and how to use a community defibrillator with members of Ludlow Defib4You.

Mr Dunne first learned the skills in 2013, when defibrillators began being set up in community settings in south Shropshire but has taken the course again to ensure his skills are up to scratch, and to encourage others to learn these important skills.

According to the British Red Cross, just five per cent of adults have the skills and confidence to provide first aid in emergency situations.

As the rollout of community defibrillators continues at pace in Shropshire, the government is ensuring children learn lifesaving skills at school to increase the number of people able to act in an emergency.

“I was very pleased to brush up on my CPR and be reminded how to use a community defibrillator in case I need to use it,” said the MP.

“We had a good group of a dozen supporters of Ludlow Defib4You.

“In rural areas, a community defibrillator or CPR could make the difference between life and death in the minutes before an ambulance arrives.

“So, the more people trained to use them the better. I encourage south Shropshire residents to look into taking one of these short courses.

“I am pleased that by September 2020 all schools, including academies and free schools, will be required to teach first aid and life-saving skills, meaning that by the time a pupil completes secondary school they will have been taught how to administer CPR, as well as the purpose of defibrillators, and basic treatment for common injuries.

“A new generation of lifesavers will develop over time.”

People can learn CPR and how to use a defibrilator in just a few hours although the heart start machines also provide audiable instructions to help people to use them.