MORE than 100,000 people have the chance to train for CPR, as part of ‘Restart a Heart Day’.

Every year there are thousands of people dying as a result of a heart disease and because most people don’t know how to carry out a CPR on cardiac arrest victims before the emergency services arrive on the scene.

The training event is a result of the Resuscitation Council (UK), the British Heart Association (BHF), St John Ambulance, British Red Cross, Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), the UK NHS ambulance services and fire & rescue services across the country.

Over 100,000 people can get the chance to get trained today, learn how to perform a CPR and be able to save a life in the future.

Simon Gillespie, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: “Shockingly, thousands of lives are being lost every year because people lack the confidence and skills to step in and save a life when someone collapses with a cardiac arrest.

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According to a late research carried out from the University of Warwick, it is hard to revive one to eight cardiac arrest victims, which results 10,000 deaths per year, with the estimations of BHF.

Mr Gillespie also added: “We need as many people as possible to learn this life-saving skill to give them the confidence to step in and try to save a life when they see someone suffer a cardiac arrest.

“That’s why we are urging secondary schools across the UK to apply for our free training kits and help create a Nation of Lifesavers.”

The British Heart Foundation has been around for 50 years, helping people who suffer from a heart or circulatory condition. On Tuesday they carried out a live streamed CPR training tutorial on Twitter at 1pm.

The chances for a cardiac arrest victim to survive without a CPR operation right away are almost zero, this is why the BHF is appealing for people to grab the chance and get trained today.

Dr Andrew Lockey, from the Resuscitation Council (UK), said in their press release: “Today there will be in excess of 100,000 new lifesavers in the UK. This is a fantastic step towards training all children in CPR. That has to be the ultimate goal to give victims of cardiac arrest the best chance of survival.”

The partner organisations are hoping to create a ‘Nation of Lifesavers’, were people are well educated and prepare to offer help when faced with such an incident in their daily life.

Joe Mulligan, head of first aid education at British Red Cross said: “At the British Red Cross we want everyone to feel confident and willing to provide help when faced with a first aid emergency. This is why we are delighted to support Restart a Heart Day, giving young people the opportunity to learn a potentially lifesaving life skill.

“The benefits of first aid, including chest compressions for someone who is unresponsive and not breathing, are well recognised. This is why we are also calling for more opportunities for people to learn first aid throughout their lifetime, particularly in schools across the UK where it should be more widely taught in existing subjects or after school activities,” he added.

Mr Gillespie said: “Survival rates in the UK have remained stubbornly low for far too long and it’s time we improved them.”

A separate poll mentioned by The British Heart Foundation found that 62% of the UK adults surveyed did not know what to do when a cardiac arrest occurs, while over half of them have never received training for CPR.

For more information on how to get involved, visit the bhf.org.uk.

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