All children to learn CPR and basic First Aid in schools

Education Secretary Damian Hinds confirmed plans to add CPR to the school curriculum in England, meaning thousands of secondary school pupils across the country will learn life saving first aid skills.

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Under the plans, all young people in England will have been taught how to administer CPR, the purpose of defibrillators, and basic first aid treatments for common injuries, by the time they leave secondary school.

Speaking about the announcement Mr Hinds said: "On arriving at university I was struck that the American students I met knew how to do CPR - and I didn't have a clue. As a father I want my children to have the knowledge and skills they need to keep themselves safe and help others, and as Education Secretary I want that for every child.

"Learning the basic skills of first aid and techniques like CPR will give young people the confidence to know that they can step in to help someone else in need and in the most extreme cases - it could potentially save a life."

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The proposals, due to be rolled out in 2020, are part of the Department for Education's plans to strengthen teaching of health, sex and relationships education.Every year there are around 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests across the UK, but sadly less than 1 in 10 survive.

According to the British Heart Foundation's Chief Executive, Simon Gillespie, the plans mark a “decisive moment” in improving cardiac arrest survival rates.

He said: "The Department for Education's plans to introduce CPR on to the curriculum is a decisive moment in the battle to improve cardiac arrest survival rates, following years of campaigning by the BHF and others.

"There are 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests every year, and each day people needlessly die because bystanders don't have the confidence or knowledge to perform CPR and defibrillation.

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"This is why all schoolchildren should be given the opportunity to learn these skills.

"Introducing CPR lessons into health education in all state-funded secondary schools is a significant step that promises to improve the odds of survival for countless people who have a cardiac arrest in the future."