All secondary schools across Yorkshire can now sign up to provide their students with free life-saving training on Restart a Heart Day (Wednesday, 16 October 2024) when it is expected that over 35,000 young people will learn CPR in one day.
Sean Dooley is a Paramedic, based in Harrogate:
Restart a heart day started as a Yorkshire initiative, but it is slowly becoming a national initiative.
It’s a day that schools come together and allows year 7’s, and sometimes year 8’s to become free for a period where they can learn how to perform life saving treatment such as CPR.
The children come in, they are given a brief introduction with a video about what Restart a Heart day is, along with some statistics. We then break the group down, and teach them how to do CPR.
Helen Rogers is the First Aid lead at Rossett School said:
We feel CPR is a true life skill, the more people who learn, the more lives can be saved!
Rossett has taken part in this event every year since it started, we are empowering our students with the knowledge and skills to be responsible, resilient and ready to act in any life situation.
There can’t be an NHS ambulance sat on every street corner, but there might be someone who knows what to do and where to find a defibrillator. In this situation every second counts, the casualty is in the hands of the bystanders, what they choose to do can be the difference between life or death!
Restart a Heart Day is about giving more people the chance of survival after suffering from a cardiac arrest.
Sean Dooley, Paramedic, said:
When someone collapses they retain oxygen in the bloodstream, so that when you start CPR you artificially pump the blood around the system and keep vital organs alive.
The aim is to treat hypoxia, which is lack of oxygen in the organs. Without oxygen the organs build up carbon dioxide, and become acidic.
Jason Carlyon, Community Engagement Manager with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said:
We were pleased to teach CPR to these talented young players who are expected to progress through the ranks within the women’s Rugby League at the highest level and would like to thank them for supporting the launch of our Restart a Heart campaign.
A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone of any age at any time and unfortunately we have seen numerous high-profile incidents involving sports professionals so it’s crucial that we engage with groups like this to teach vital skills and also raise awareness about the importance of CPR to a wider audience.
Secondary schools can register for Restart a Heart Day 2024 by completing the form at https://survey.yas.nhs.uk/s/Restart-a-Heart-Day-SchoolRegistration-2024/ before the closing date on Friday 19 April 2024.
For more information visit, https://restartaheart.yas.nhs.uk/ or email yas.restartaheart@nhs.net
- Since the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Restart a Heart campaign began in 2014, 234,708 students have learnt CPR during 1,047 school visits thanks to ambulance staff and volunteers who have given 39,213 hours.
- Over 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest out of hospital in the UK every year. The earlier a patient can receive CPR and a shock from a defibrillator, the greater their chance of survival.
- Currently in the UK, less than one (8.6%) in ten people survive a 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 in partnership with the Resuscitation Council (UK), British Heart Foundation (BHF) and St John Ambulance.
