25 mins approx.
Level: 1
First Aid
In health and social care there are few more important skills than first aid, where making the correct decisions when faced with an accident or emergency situation can be the difference between life and death.
45 mins approx.
Level: 2
1 hour approx.
Level: 2
CPD: 1 credit
1 hour 50 mins approx.
Level: 2
CPD: 1 credit
30 mins approx.
Level: Level 3
1 hour 5 mins approx.
Level: 2
CPD: 1 credit
Making the correct decisions when faced with an accident or emergency situation can be the difference between life and death. A Red Cross survey showed a staggering 59% of deaths from injuries would have been preventable had first aid been given before the emergency services arrived [Source: https://firstaidforlife.org.uk/first-aid/] and as such, first aid training and emergency care is vital to learn for healthcare workers and civilians alike.
The Health and Safety (First-Aid) Regulations were passed in 1981 and state that it is a legal requirement for employers to have as many trained emergency first aiders as is appropriate, depending on the nature of the workplace and the potential hazards involved. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) recommends that employers have at least one person trained in first aid, however, so that there are always appointed persons on hand who can be relied on to deliver first aid in emergency situations should they arise. Healthcare workers moreover are required to have these anyway; they are expected to undergo basic life support training and need to understand the principles of essential emergency care, being able to carry out simple but often important emergency procedures such as CPR. All health workers are required to understand the basics of emergency care, life support, and CPR, under standards 12 and 13 of the Care Certificate.
Other useful procedures that are covered by a first aid training course include dealing with minor injuries, cases of shock, external bleeding as well as choking.
The importance of first aid training in the UK
In health and social care there are few more important skills than first aid, which can include basic life support but with a range of potentially lifesaving skills; it could be administering an automated external defibrillation (AED) or simply carrying out a risk assessment, both have the ability to improve the safety of a vulnerable or elderly person. Regulated providers of the Care Quality Commission (CQC) can help to ensure that they comply with fundamental standards of quality and safety by giving all of their staff as much of the relevant skills as possible. Employers should be assessing what the appropriate standard of first aid expertise is, and then making sure that their staff are appropriately trained — for workplaces with more risks to health and safety, several people trained in emergency first aid may be a legal requirement.