Heartstart comes to Wincle Primary

Wincle Primary School had a visit from the Resuscitation Officer at Walsall Manor Hospital, Phil Jevon, who is teaching local schools simple skills that can help them save lives or react appropriately in a life- threatening emergency.

The British Heart Foundation’s “Heartstart” programme includes learning skills such as assessing an unconscious patient, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), dealing with choking or serious bleeding and helping someone that might be having a heart attack.  Young people of ten years and over can attend a “Heartstart” course. However, some emergency lifesaving skills (ELS) like making a 999 call or placing someone in the recovery position can be learnt much earlier.

The Heartstart ELS course can be undertaken without any special medical knowledge and teachers can include it in a range of different subjects including Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), Science, Physical Education and Citizenship.

Phil Jevon has also trained teachers so that they can pass on these lifesaving skills to their pupils. The British Heart Foundation has donated educational materials, including manikins, to support this important work.

Phil said, “To become affiliated to the “Heartstart” Schools Programme, a school needs to have a suitably qualified training supervisor. My role as training supervisor is to provide ‘train the trainer’ sessions for the teachers, so that they can then teach the emergency life support skills to their pupils.  I also provide advice and support should they have any queries or concerns and update their training as and when required.”

Local MP David Rutley, who was lending his support on the day, added, “I was very pleased to be able to visit Wincle Primary School and find out more about the fantastic work being done by Phil, his colleagues at Walsall Manor Hospital and the British Heart Foundation. Heartstart is an important initiative which is providing lifesaving skills to schools on a daily basis, so that young people have the skills and confidence to provide the right assistance in emergency situations from a young age. I hope other schools locally will be able to take part in the months ahead.”

Information about the campaign can be found on the Resuscitation Council UK’s website: www.resus.org.uk/pages/ELSstmt.htm