The Government recently came out quite strongly in favour of promoting CPR training in schools. We are hoping that the Council will show the same commitment to supporting CPR training amongst the wider population.

This is one of those cases where a small amount of money can make a real difference. With that in mind I tabled a questions to the Mayor for Full Council.

“It has recently been announced that the Secretary of State for Education is working on making health education compulsory in all schools, equipping every child with life-saving skills. First Aid training is extremely important.

At the moment, if a person suffers a cardiac arrest then there is only a 6-8% chance that the person will survive in Bristol. This low figure is down to the fact that it is unlikely that a person will be nearby who knows what to do and can get to them in time. By increasing the number of people who have the right training you increase the chance of survival. For example, some cities such as Seattle or Stockholm have the chance of survival at nearer 25% - all of it down to the amount of training on offer.

I am sure that the Mayor recognises the important role that the Council could play in this regard.

I therefore have the following questions:
Q1. Just £10,000 would buy numerous sets of CPR dummies that could be based in community centres around the City. These could then be used by volunteer groups such as the Scouts or Guides to support CPR roll out. Would the Mayor consider committing a modest sum in his Capital Budget (possibly from the CIL reserve that has accumulated) to support this aim?
Q2. Will the Mayor also consider promoting this vital training amongst City partners and how can Councillor’s assist in this endeavour.”

I am genuinely hopeful for a positive response as I don’t regard this as a political issue.

You can learn more about hands free CPR here - www.nhs.uk/conditions/first-aid/cpr/