Thursday 29 August 2024

Paramedics to teach 50,000 how to treat severe bleeding after surge in knife crime

Paramedics to teach 50,000 St John Ambulance volunteers how to treat severe bleeding following surge in knife crime

St John Ambulance will teach 50,000 people how to treat severe bleeds after a surge in knife crime fuelled demand for lessons.

The public will be able to attend classes nationwide throughout September, when the charity will demonstrate life-saving first aid.

It said the focus will be on severe bleeding 'as the issue of street violence is of growing concern to the public'.

Two-thirds (66 per cent) of 1,000 people polled for the SJA said it should feature severe bleeds due to the rise in knife crime, with 59 per cent saying they would not know how to help a victim.

Other things respondents most want to learn is how to deal with choking and cardiac arrests, which will both be included in the tutorials.

Police at the Notting Hill Carnival following a knife attack on August 26

Police at the Notting Hill Carnival following a knife attack on August 26

The announcement comes after the Metropolitan Police revealed there were eight stabbings at the Notting Hill Carnival over the August bank holiday weekend alone, with some victims in a critical condition.

Weeks earlier, a knife attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance workshop in Southport on July 29 left three young girls dead and several more adults and children injured.

There were 50,510 'knife-enabled crimes' in England and Wales in the year to March, which was up 4 per cent on the previous year, according to the Office for National Statistics.

A notable increase was seen in the number of robberies involving a knife or sharp instrument, which were up 13 per cent in a year.

The figures for both years exclude Greater Manchester, because of an IT issue, the ONS said.

The skills will be taught through public events, online tutorials and free first-aid pocket guides, as part of SJA's Save a Life campaign.

Carl Makins, head of community education at SJA, said: 'This September we plan to show thousands of members of the public how to save lives, focusing on the first aid that they most want to learn.

'It's vital more of us within our communities know how to respond to the life-threatening situations which many of us will sadly face in our lives.

Police march down the street at the Adult's Day Parade on the last day of the Notting Hill Carnival in West London

Police march down the street at the Adult's Day Parade on the last day of the Notting Hill Carnival in West London 

'Tragically, due to the rise in knife crime, it feels particularly relevant to be teaching people how to treat severe blood loss.

'It's so often those quick actions taken by people who find themselves first on scene in the critical minutes before an ambulance arrives, that make the difference between life and death.' 

The research also found more than a quarter (26 per cent) of people have never learned any first aid and less than four in ten (38 per cent) said they would know how to treat a serious bleed from an injury or wound.

Nearly half (49 per cent) said they would feel panicked if they came across a health emergency due to their lack of training.

This was despite nearly three in ten (28 per cent) saying they had experienced a severe bleed incident, either as a first aider (11 per cent), casualty (9 per cent) or bystander (8 per cent).

While half (50 per cent) went on to correctly state they would prioritise putting pressure on a wound to stem life-threatening blood loss, others wrongly focused on raising the injured limb, placing the person in the recovery position, attempting to clean the wound or tilting the casualty's head back.

A third (33 per cent) believed, incorrectly, that you should never cover an open wound with worn clothes to stem a bleed - despite this sometimes being the only option to save someone's life.

A man is led away in handcuffs by two officers at the Notting Hill Carnival in West London yesterday

A man is led away in handcuffs by two officers at the Notting Hill Carnival in West London yesterday 

SJA first aid trainer Kristina Saunders used tea towels to stop a teenager bleeding to death when he was stabbed in the side and leg in an East London housing estate.

When Kristina, 27 at the time, heard a knock at the door and cries of, 'There's so much blood!' from another teenager, she put her skills into action.

Without access to a first aid kit, she improvised with a pair of Marigold gloves to protect herself and tea towels to stem the blood until police and paramedics arrived.

The boy, aged only 14 or 15, survived after surgery. Paramedics and police said Kristina's actions had saved his life.

Kristina said: 'When I saw the blood I just clicked into operation... I went into a different mode, thinking, 'I have got to help this kid out. If I don't, he's going to die.' 

'If I hadn't been there, I don't know what would have happened but too many people still don't know the basics, simple things like putting pressure on a wound or CPR.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13790225/Paramedics-teach-St-John-Ambulance-volunteers-severe-bleeding-knife-crime.html

Takayo Nembhard, 21, was stabbed to death at the Notting Hill Carnival on August 29, 2022

Takayo Nembhard, 21, was stabbed to death at the Notting Hill Carnival 

Daniel Anjorin, 14, (pictured) was killed by a man wielding a ninja sword  in Hainault, London last May

Daniel Anjorin, 14, (pictured) was killed by a man wielding a ninja sword  in Hainault, London

Jermaine Cools was stabbed seven times with a machete by 16-year-old Marques Walker

Jermaine Cools was stabbed seven times by 16-year-old Marques Walker and died

The knife seized by the Metropolitan Police that Marques used to conduct his senseless attack on Jermaine

The knife seized by the Metropolitan Police that Marques used to conduct his attack on Jermaine

A total of 21 teenagers were killed in London in 2023. Pictured is a composite image showing all of them

A total of 21 teenagers were killed in London in 2023. Pictured is a composite image showing all of them 

Tributes have been paid to mother-of-four Alberta Obinim, 43, who was stabbed to death in a Manchester knife attack

Mother-of-four Alberta Obinim, 43, who was stabbed to death in a Manchester knife attack

In September 15-year-old Elianne Andam was stabbed while she made her way to school in Croydon

15-year-old Elianne Andam was stabbed while she made her way to school in Croydon

Charlie Bartolo was stabbed to death in Abbey Wood south-west London after he was rammed off his dirt bike

Charlie Bartolo was stabbed to death in Abbey Wood south-west London after he was rammed off his dirt bike

Sammie Shallangwa, left, and Jake Debonsu were part of the group that murdered Charlie

Sammie Shallangwa, left, and Jake Debonsu were part of the group that murdered Charlie

Hussain Bah
Alagie Jobe

Killers Hussain Bah, left, and Alagie Jobe were driving a black Nissan Qashqai they had stolen the previous night

A zombie-style blade taken by police from an estate in Hackney, East London (file photograph)

A zombie-style blade taken by police from an estate in Hackney, East London

Police are offering zombie knife owners cash to hand over the menacing blades before they are officially banned in the UK (Pictured: some examples of different zombie knives, varying in length from a long blade to shorter styles)

Police are offering zombie knife owners cash to hand over the menacing blades before they are officially banned in the UK (Pictured: some examples of different zombie knives, varying in length from a long blade to shorter styles)

Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak picks up a blade on a visit to Harlow Police Station in February when the Government promised a ban on zombie-style knives and machetes

Then-Prime Minister Rishi Sunak picks up a blade on a visit to Harlow Police Station in February when the Government promised a ban on zombie-style knives and machetes

Since Sadiq Khan first sought office as Mayor in 2016, promising to vastly reduce the use of ‘Stop and Search’ knife crime has risen 54 per cent

Since Sadiq Khan first sought office as Mayor in 2016, promising to vastly reduce the use of 'Stop and Search', knife crime has risen 54 per cent

Sadiq Khan - pictured yesterday at a campaign event in Croydon - has been accused of 'completely losing control' of the streets

Sadiq Khan has been accused of 'completely losing control' of the streets

Syrian national Issa Al H was today named as the man suspected of carrying out a knife attack at a festival in Germany, which left a 56-year-old woman and two men aged 56 and 67, dead

Syrian national Issa Al H was today named as the man suspected of carrying out a knife attack at a festival in Germany, which left a 56-year-old woman and two men aged 56 and 67, dead


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