Almost half (43%) of adults in the UK have never learned CPR, according to new figures released today. A nationally representative study found that 23 million people have yet to learn life-saving skills.

The shocking numbers have been revealed as people are urged to learn CPR during Heart Month in February, with a message to protect the hearts of their loved ones.

Approximately 80% of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur at home, so CPR is often performed on your loved one.

Research carried out for us by Census Wide also suggests that an alarming number of UK households have no one who knows how to perform CPR.

Among respondents who said they had not learned CPR, nearly three-fifths (58 percent) said no one in their family had ever learned the life-saving technique.

More than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the UK each year. Sadly, fewer than 1 in 10 children survive, and we are determined to improve this statistic by giving everyone the opportunity to learn CPR.

If cardiac arrest occurs, prompt cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation can be the difference between life and death.

Our free, innovative online training tool, RevivR, can teach you the correct steps for CPR and defibrillator use in just 15 minutes. Prompt CPR and defibrillation further doubles the chance of survival.

The study also revealed generational and geographic differences in attitudes toward CPR.

• Gen Z (ages 16-26) is the most trained generation in CPR, with 67% having mastered CPR, compared to 51% of baby boomers (ages 59-77) and Gen 52% of respondents (age 52) are studying. 43-58).
• Nearly nine in 10 (89 per cent) 2 Brits believe it is important to learn CPR, but they do not understand the correct first steps in CPR (knowing whether it is safe to approach or not). Only 40 percent of respondents were able to choose “Check the unconscious person’s response.” .
• Northern Ireland was the best-trained region in the UK, with 74 per cent of respondents saying they had learned CPR.

daisy’s story

First aid trainer Daisy Devane knows the importance of CPR and teaches the skill herself to others as part of her daily job. However, in 2022 she went into cardiac arrest in her living room and her own life had to be saved by her partner Eamonn. She was only 30 years old at the time.

Eamon was in bed that day, infected with coronavirus, when he suddenly heard a strange noise and rushed downstairs. He found Daisy unconscious on the sofa, lifted her onto her floor and called 999. Eamonn began CPR and applied compressions for 12 minutes until help arrived.

When the ambulance arrived at the couple’s home, paramedics rushed to treat them, but in a strange twist of fate, paramedic Jeremy Williams himself suddenly collapsed in the living room from a heart attack. .

Another ambulance and air ambulance arrived at the scene.

“Eamon watched the whole episode unfold in a surreal way,” said Daisy, now 31, from Stewartby, Bedfordshire.

Incredibly, they both survived the day’s events. Eamonn could only stand and watch as the paramedics treated Daisy and Jeremy at the same time. Emon said: “When I called into work sick that morning, I never expected something like this to happen. It felt surreal watching the events unfold. I’m so grateful that no one died that day. It feels like a miracle.”

Daisy’s heart was shocked five times by a defibrillator. “I was taken by ambulance to Bedford Hospital and given a sedative. When I woke up in intensive care three days later, I had no recollection of what had happened. I stayed in hospital for a total of 33 days and suffered a relapse. An S-ICD (subcutaneous implantable cardioverter defibrillator) was installed to deliver a shock to the heart in the event of an emergency.

“I didn’t know that Jeremy had had a heart attack until after he was discharged from the hospital. It feels like a miracle that both of our lives were saved that day. Jeremy and the other paramedics saved my life. For saving me, I will be forever grateful.”

Daisy and Eamon married in July 2023. “How many people get to marry the person who saved their life?” Daisy said. Since returning to her job, Daisy has been using her personal story to advocate for the importance of CPR training.

Jeremy Williams, Emergency Medical Technician at East of England Ambulance Service, said: “When we arrived, Daisy’s condition was very serious. I was resuscitating her when I felt so much pain. Fortunately, my colleagues quickly realized what was happening. He noticed and attached an electrocardiogram that confirmed I was having a heart attack.

“It was one of those things you never thought would happen to you. If it wasn’t for my co-workers, I wouldn’t be here right now. I couldn’t have had better people around me.”

Jeremy was taken to Lister Hospital where he had two stents fitted and returned to work six months later.

Learn lifesaving skills for free

We are now inviting the public to learn CPR for free in just 15 minutes using our online tool, RevivR. This tool means anyone can learn life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills anytime, anywhere with just a mobile phone and a cushion.

RevivR teaches you how to recognize cardiac arrest, provides feedback on chest compressions, and outlines the correct procedure for using a defibrillator so anyone can confidently intervene and save lives. Masu.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said: “When someone goes into cardiac arrest, every moment counts, and being able to get in and perform CPR can be the difference between life and death. Cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time. That’s why we want as many people as possible to learn CPR.

“Not enough people are confident and ready to use this skill. With our tool RevivR, all you need to learn how to save lives is 15 minutes of free time, a phone, and a cushion.” Try it on your next coffee break or lunch break and it just might save the life of a loved one.”

Daisy added: “Everyone should try his BHF’s RevivR tool in February and learn CPR. It can be the difference between life and death, as it was for me.” .”

The AJ Bell Futures Foundation is working with us to support Heart Month 2024 and encourage more people to learn life-saving cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques. They will be donating £5 for every person we train this February, capped at £50,000.

Click here to learn more about cardiopulmonary resuscitation