Valerie Speaks in Life-Saving Skills Debate

On Thursday 22 November Valerie spoke in favour of the motion to teach Life-saving skills in school in a House of Commons Backbench Business debate.

Valerie said:
“I am a strong advocate for teaching life-saving skills in schools and making Emergency Life Savings a compulsory part of the curriculum. This would require only 2 hours a year and provide children with the skills and confidence they need to save a life.”
“The British Heart Foundation uses the song ‘Stayin’ Alive’ by the Bee Gees as a way of remembering the rhythm one should chest compressions during CPR. When teaching school children maybe updating the song to PSY’s ‘Gangnam Style’, the most viewed song on YouTube, would engage children. The first movements of the dance is similar to that required for administrating CPR but by uncrossing the hands.”
The 2001 census found that 174,995 under-18s are carers. So many children already know how to look after adults. There are four simple measures: dialing 999; administering CPR; putting someone in the recovery position; or simply staying with them, holding their hand and talking to them. That can save lives, and those measures are the basis of ELS. It should be compulsory for them to be taught in schools.”
“The British Medical Association has said that almost 60,000 people suffer from out-of-hospital strokes, and evidence shows that CPR can triple the rate of survival. I urge the Government to listen to Back Benchers—for a change—and to include training in schools as part of the curriculum. It is compulsory in Norway, Denmark and France. Let us embed it in our children’s psyche, engrain it and make it part of their DNA. After all, it is a matter of life and death.”

To view the full Hansard Transcript of Valerie’s speech, please click here.