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Richmond took part in Restart a Heart Day today (Wednesday 16th October), a national initiative by the Resuscitation Council UK and British Heart Foundation held annually to help more people learn CPR and increase the chances of people surviving cardiac arrests.
Staff and local office workers from around London Bridge turned up throughout the day for the free training which was provided by Richmond’s expert team of Research Physicians and Resuscitation Practitioner led by Carolina Pacheco De Amorim, Head of Acute Clinical Management at Richmond.
Survival rates from people having a cardiac arrest remain stubbornly low in the UK, with fewer than one in 10 people surviving. But the more people who are trained and able to perform CPR on members of the public, colleagues or family members, the more lives can be saved. Being able to do CPR could be crucial to being able to help a family member in a crisis as 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home.
Participants included Eddie Wilkins, a taxi driver from London Airport Taxis who are contracted by Richmond to ferry patients to and from their clinical trials from all over the country. As people taking part in Richmond’s clinical trials are often elderly and ill, Richmond is extending their CPR training to all London Airport Taxis drivers.
Eddie said: “The session was very informative and hands on. I feel confident now that if someone falls unconscious while in my cab, I will know what to do until an ambulance arrives.”
Carolina Pacheco de Amorim said: “We cover every step, from how to check for signs of life, to performing the actual chest compressions and, if more bystanders, the use of the AED. It was great to see so many people turning up, keen to be able to act responsibly if they find someone in need.”
Participants were sent away with the challenge of looking out for (usually green) Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in their local area. AEDs are very easy to use, they give clear, voiced instructions and can be found in stations, libraries, supermarkets and many other places.
For more information on CPR training, including how to use an AED, visit the Resuscitation Council’s website here https://www.resus.org.uk/get-involved/restart-heart-day
To register your interest in future CPR training days at Richmond, please email resus@richmondpharmacology.com
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