Young mum saved by husband urges others to learn vital skill with BHF this Heart Month, as Only 51% of UK adults confident they could perform CPR on a loved one having a cardiac arrest
Just half of people (51 per cent) in the UK say they would be able to perform CPR if a loved one had a sudden cardiac arrest in front of them, despite latest data showing that around 80 per cent[1] of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen in the home.
The figures have been revealed as the British Heart Foundation (BHF) calls on the nation to learn lifesaving CPR during February’s Heart Month, with the message that you’re most likely to need these skills to save someone you know.
There are more than 30,000[2] out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK each year. But less than one in ten people survive, often because those around them don’t have the skills or confidence to perform CPR.
The survey of more than 4,000 adults, which was carried out for the BHF by YouGov, also shows that a third of people (33 per cent) have never learned CPR. Of those, almost half (47 per cent) said it was because they didn’t know where to learn, while nearly a quarter (24 per cent) said they didn’t have the confidence to learn.
The BHF says CPR ‘could be the most important lesson you ever learn’ – with early CPR and defibrillation shown to more than double the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest. Through the charity’s digital CPR training tool, RevivR, it takes just 15 minutes to learn.
Sarah Edmonds knows all too well the importance of CPR. The mum-of-one, who lives near Brighton, had a sudden cardiac arrest and collapsed in her then three-year-old daughter’s bedroom in December 2020. She was just 31 at the time.
Luckily, her husband James was in the house and rushed to her aid, calling 999 and performing CPR for 20 minutes helping to keep his wife alive, until paramedics arrived to take over. Sarah said;
Looking back, James was an absolute hero that day. It was a horrific situation for him and yet without him doing what he did, I wouldn’t be here. I don’t remember much about what happened. I had gone into Arabella’s room to check on her. I remember feeling a bit breathless and then, within seconds, nothing.
Apparently, Arabella had started laughing because I’d collapsed on her bed, and she thought I was playing a game with her. James found me motionless. He could see I’d stopped breathing. He called 999 and started CPR on me. He reacted very quickly – it was purely instinctive. This was all in front of Arabella, so really traumatic for her.
By starting CPR, James kept Sarah alive until the ambulance crew arrived. Paramedics restarted Sarah’s heart using a defibrillator. She spent four weeks in hospital before being allowed home. She was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), which will help control any potentially life-threatening heart rhythms in the future. Further tests later diagnosed Sarah had a heart condition called Long QT syndrome.
She said:
Words just cannot express how grateful I am that James was there when I needed him most to give me CPR. Thanks to him I get to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, and I get to see her face at Christmas. This is the difference CPR can make.
The BHF is now urging the public to learn CPR for free in just 15 minutes – using its online tool, RevivR. The tool means anyone can learn lifesaving CPR skills, anywhere, anytime – and all that is needed is a mobile phone and a cushion.
RevivR teaches how to recognise a cardiac arrest, gives feedback on chest compressions and outlines the correct steps of using a defibrillator, giving anyone the confidence to help in the ultimate medical emergency.
Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive of the British Heart Foundation, said:
Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest, and knowing CPR could be the difference between life and death. A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone at any time – it could be your partner, your mum or dad or your child.
“Our survey shows that too many of us still haven’t learned CPR and wouldn’t have the confidence to step in if the worst should happen. It only takes 15 minutes to learn with RevivR – that’s a coffee break, half time in the football or the time you might spend scrolling through social media. I urge you do it today, as it could be the most important lesson you ever learn.
Sarah added:
I feel so very lucky and that’s why I am supporting the BHF and raising awareness of RevivR this Heart Month. Everyone can spare fifteen minutes to learn CPR – it’s why I’m still here today.
To support the British Heart Foundation this Heart Month and find out more about RevivR, visit bhf.org.uk/heartmonth
[1] (1) Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Overview – English Ambulance Services 2021 (2021 Annual Epidemiology Report), Warwick University. https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/med/research/ctu/trials/ohcao/publications/epidemiologyreports/
Equivalent recent data for Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is not available, so the England data is used for a UK-wide estimate.
[2] (2) BHF UK estimate, volumes and survival rates are only routinely published for England and Scotland.
NHS England (2022) Ambulance Quality Indicators (www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/)
- Scottish Government (2022) Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Report 209/22
(scottishambulance.com/publications/Out-of-Hospital-Cardiac-Arrest-Annual-Report/)
