BHF says 5,000 extra lives could be saved if more learn CPR

A health charity is calling for more people to learn CPR after a study found a large number of the public don’t know how to perform the technique.

Some three-quarters of Scots said they wouldn’t feel confident performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) according to a survey by the British Heart Foundation.

The charity has now called on more people to learn the procedure in an effort to save more of the estimated 22,000 people in the UK who die each year from heart failure in their own homes.

We need every school, workplace, community group and individual to be inspired to register for a free CPR training kit

BHF believes if more people learned CPR an extra 5,000 lives a year could be saved.

The survey also found that 47% of people in Scotland are deterred by fear of causing more harm than good, while nearly four in 10 lack the knowledge and skills to act.

The BHF's training programme for schools, workplaces and community groups teach three steps that could save a life: Call. Push. Rescue.

Marjory Burns, director of BHF Scotland, said: "The figures are a stark reminder that you're most likely to witness a loved one suffer a cardiac arrest so it's imperative people learn CPR should they be faced with the worst in their own home.

"The Call. Push. Rescue message is simple to remember and by spreading this far and wide we're determined to radically improve the country's shocking survival rates.

"We need every school, workplace, community group and individual to be inspired to register for a free CPR training kit and join the Nation of Lifesavers and help make Scotland a safer place to live."