Employers can play a more significant role in reducing the UK’s premature death rate. You cannot put a price on that, says Sue Killen, Chief Executive for St John Ambulance.
Last month’s report by Public Health England and the Global Burden of Disease Study found that the UK is now placed 14th out of 19 Western countries for life expectancy. Britain has a worse record of premature death than a host of comparable countries, and there are concerns that the gap is widening. The reasons for this are complex, and relate in part to modern lifestyle choices. However employers should also see the report as a wakeup call, highlighting the important role first aid can play in reducing instances of premature death in this country. First aid can and does help prevent premature deaths. St John Ambulance analysis indicates that every year up to 140,000 people in England and Wales die in situations where first aid could have helped them to live. This number is based on a detailed review of annual mortality data identifying conditions where first aid may have either improved a person’s chance of survival or possibly prevented death.
First aid knowledge can be applied in two ways. Firstly, it enables early recognition of conditions and management of accidents and incidents, resulting in earlier access to appropriate emergency services. This increases survival rates in conditions such as meningitis and heart attack. Secondly, it teaches direct interventions which could save lives. For instance, if someone was choking then back blows would be the primary treatment to save the patient. If the UK is to reduce its premature death rates, then focusing on the 140,000 figure and increasing awareness of first aid makes absolute sense.
As most people spend a significant proportion of their day at work, first aid training in the workplace is of central importance. The main motivation for employers putting staff through first aid training is to comply with health and safety regulations. This is a good start but we would like to see employers going beyond this and actively encouraging as many members of staff as possible to become involved with first aid. Shortly after the release of the report, Jeremy Hunt announced the Government’s intention to increase training in CPR and the use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). This is a positive move and we would welcome the opportunity to help ensure that such training is effectively structured and deployed. This would include ensuring that businesses are provided with the right information to get their staff adequately trained. We believe the workplace represents one of the best distribution networks for the transmission of first aid skills.
HR directors will, however, wish to ensure that time and resources are allocated in the most effective ways possible. For example, while the use of AEDs is hugely important as early access to defibrillators saves lives, the machines themselves are simple to use. Modern AEDs that are intended for use by members of the public come equipped with an audio feature that talks people through each step of its use. They are so advanced that it is physically impossible to shock someone with a defibrillator if they don’t actually require a shock. HR teams should therefore encourage staff to be confident in using defibrillators but would be better focusing their training resources on other important first aid areas such as CPR and the recovery position. We believe that education is the best tool in the fight against premature death. The Government has a key role to play here, but it is also essential that businesses help in this battle. For employers, the main impact they can make is to help train people on what to do in medical emergencies. We therefore urge all HR directors to look at their current first aid strategies. Are you really doing enough?
