We welcomed last weeks launch of the First Aid Rapped Up campaign by the British Red Cross. The campaign, which aims to accentuate child safety concerns and associated emergency first aid techniques is based on the results of a recent survey in which 65% of parents had indicated that they wished they had learned some first aid skills prior to embarking on parenthood. The centre point of the initiative is a number of music videos featuring small children rapping about particular areas of concern as featured in the survey results; part one deals with poisons and plans for two more covering burns and then seizures have been made public.

The quirky videos are certainties to catch peoples’ imagination, generate interest across social media and place the benefits of possessing first aid skills firmly at the forefront of the public’s consciousness. Allied to this, celebrity mums including Catherine Tyldesley, Tamzin Outhwaite, Katherine Kelly and GMTV’s new mum Charlotte Hawkins have all helped highlight the campaign. Indeed, Jools Oliver’s comments that first aid is fun to learn particularly resonated with us as they echoed the thoughts in our earlier blog which discussed access to training in your own home. In the same article Jools also described how brushing up on her first aid skills helped demonstrate an inaccuracy in her prior first aid understanding, and this is an area often overlooked. As is the case in most domains, techniques are constantly evolving as our understanding of the subject matter matures, so it is vital that we keep ourselves abreast of such changes. We are very fortunate that as practising Paramedics we’re continually being trained in lifesaving techniques to keep our skills at the highest possible standard

It’s great to see the need for first aid skills again being publicised, access to them being made easier and teaching of the courses being made more varied and engaging. The more people we can ensure are accurately knowledgable in first aid the safer we should all feel.