Charities in Wales are campaigning for CPR and first aid training to be made mandatory in all schools in Wales.
British Heart Foundation Cymru, British Red Cross and St John Cymru are calling on the Welsh Government for life saving skills to be taught to Welsh pupils so they have the same opportunities as their peers in other parts of the UK.
First aid and CPR will be added to the English secondary school curriculum from September 2020 and every Scottish local authority has committed to teaching CPR in their secondary schools. But it isn’t mandatory in Wales.
Emma Henwood, Public and Policy Affairs Manager at British Heart Foundation, says “by not making it mandatory there are no guarantees that every young person in school in Wales will have the same opportunity and access to this training as their peers in England and Scotland. Future survival rates in Wales may be affected because of that”.
Jon Phillips, director of training at St John Cymru, says this training will save lives.
“We know that by empowering children and young people with the lifesaving first aid skills, knowledge and confidence we can increase the number of individuals willing and able to assist in a life-threatening situation.”
In a statement the Welsh Government said it is accepting guidance on training from these charities but it will not be part of the curriculum. St John, British Red Cross and BHF say they will continue to work with schools as part of their campaign.