Students and staff at Dartmouth Academy took part in Restart a Heart Day 2017 on Wednesday, October 18. It is a national initiative coordinated by the Resuscitation Council (UK) to increase the number of people who are able to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR as it is more commonly known.

The aim this year was to try and surpass last year’s record of more than the 15,000, mainly school children, throughout the UK who were taught CPR.

The trainers who contributed to this event consisted of members of the Kingsbridge Estuary Rotary Club Heart Start Team: Nigel Toms a local Community First Responder; Leigh Rickards, Regional Manager for Laerdal Medical and Dr Carl Gwinnutt, President of the Resuscitation Council (UK). During the day, over 100 pupils from years 9 and 10, were taught CPR and shown how to use a defibrillator.

Dr Carl Gwinnutt said: “around 60,000 people each year in the UK have a cardiac arrest and sadly less than 50% receive any attempt at CPR by bystanders. Consequently, the number of individuals that survive is very low and well below the levels achieved in a number of European countries where bystanders do start CPR.

“We hope that by teaching this very important life-saving skill to these students, they will not hesitate to intervene when they come across someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

“Furthermore, Dartmouth Academy are to be congratulated for their recent acquisition of a defibrillator, or AED as they are commonly known, the use of which is the final vital step in getting the best outcome and helping to saving a life.

“These students now know how to recognise when someone has had a cardiac arrest, and the importance of calling 999, starting CPR and attaching and using the AED with the minimum of delay. By doing this the person who has suffered a cardiac arrest has their chance of survival increased hugely to around 40-50%.”

Tina Graham, Principal of Dartmouth Academy said,”I have been working with Dr Carl Gwinnutt concerning the important job of educating our young people in CPR and the use of a defibrillator. “We have recently purchased an AED to be held at the Academy which can be used both within our environment and at the same time it also increases the number that are available to our community.

“The vast majority of the year 9 and 10 pupils were part of the education day at the Academy on Wednesday and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Pupils described the day as informative and “myth-busting”.

“Many had not had any first-aid training before and a number have asked if we can have a follow-up course.  It has also been an excellent way to further promote our personal development focus and discuss with some pupils the range of future careers in the world of medicine and child and adult care services.

“I would like to thank Carl for leading the day and all the other volunteers who were very welcome visitors to the Academy. The time that they gave has made a real difference.”