The South Western Ambulance Service has started offering free emergency medical training to people across Swindon, Wiltshire. These awareness sessions teach residents how to perform chest compressions and use a defibrillator to help someone if their heart stops. The programme was launched in March 2026 to ensure more people have the confidence to act before professional help arrives.
In the UK, only about one in 10 people survive a cardiac arrest that happens outside of a hospital. However, if a bystander uses a defibrillator and performs chest compressions within the first five minutes, survival rates can rise to 70 per cent. Every minute that passes without this help reduces a person’s chance of survival by 10 per cent.
Despite these figures, around 38 per cent of adults across the country have never been taught these life-saving skills. To address this, training is being delivered by volunteers who are supported by the South Western Ambulance Charity. These sessions are designed to be practical and are available to community groups, schools, and local businesses.
The expansion of this training follows a £142,000 grant given to the ambulance charity in April 2025. This funding has helped pay for new shock machines and a programme of community ambassadors to lead the lessons. There are currently nearly 12,000 public defibrillators registered on the national network across the wider region.
According to the Resuscitation Council UK, giving bystanders the skills to help is a vital part of improving survival rates. The local ambulance service is now urging all residents to sign up for a session to ensure they are prepared for an emergency.
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