Justin Secures Support For School Emergency Life-Saving Campaign From Minister

North Swindon MP and Vice Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Heart Group, Justin Tomlinson, has secured a guarantee from the Department for Education that they will write to all secondary schools to support the British Heart Foundation’s “Call, Push, Rescue” emergency life-saving skills campaign.

Research has shown that each year in the UK, just 1 in 9 people survive if they have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital. However in countries like Denmark, where teaching CPR in schools is compulsory, the survival rate improves to 1 in 4. The campaign, which teaches students how to help save lives by performing CPR, has been a huge success in the schools that have trialled it. 

At no cost to the individual school, the British Heart Foundation provides 35 training bodies, a DVD and a simple guide on how to administer how to check if a person is breathing and how to perform basic CPR.

Justin, who has actively campaigned on the issue since his election in May 2010 and is the Patron of the BHF’s Swindon Branch, organised the meeting with the Minister following a concerted campaign which culminated recently in a series of Parliamentary Questions to the Department for Education.

During the meeting Nick Gibb MP, the Minister for School Reform (who recently visited Swindon to launch the town’s two new Free Schools), committed to writing to the headteachers of every secondary school in England to promote the free CPR training kits being issued by the British Heart Foundation and actively encourage them to find 30 minutes in the school year to equip students with vital skill.

Justin Tomlinson MP said: “I am exceptionally proud to have helped secure the support of the Minister, for teaching emergency life-saving skills in schools. Since becoming the MP for North Swindon, I have worked tirelessly with the British Heart Foundation who have produced an excellent and active resource which teaches students CPR in just 30 minutes. In the UK, just 1 in 9 people survive if they have a cardiac arrest outside of hospital, however in countries like Denmark where teaching CPR is compulsory, the survival rate improves to 1 in 4. The Minister will now write to every secondary school in England, promoting the excellent “Call, Push, Rescue” campaign and I hope schools across Swindon will take advantage of this vital, and life-saving, opportunity"