CPR & Rescue Breaths
Cardiac arrest kills 30,000 people a year in the UK outside hospital. Bystander CPR doubles the chance of survival. Learn the sequence: check, call, compress, breathe. Practice on a pillow until the rhythm is muscle memory.
Official St John Ambulance UK guide. Clear, calm, professional.
Push HARD and FAST: 5-6cm deep, 100-120 compressions per minute. The beat of 'Stayin' Alive' by the Bee Gees is the right tempo.
Don't worry about hurting them — cracked ribs are survivable, cardiac arrest without CPR is not.
If you're not trained or uncomfortable with rescue breaths, compression-only CPR is still effective. Just keep pushing.
Call 999 first. Put the phone on speaker and they'll talk you through it in real time.
CHECK: Shake shoulders firmly and shout 'Are you OK?'. Check for normal breathing (gasping is NOT normal breathing)
CALL: Dial 999 (or 112). Put on speaker. Tell them your location and that someone isn't breathing
COMPRESS: Place heel of one hand on centre of chest (between the nipples). Other hand on top, fingers interlocked
Push hard and fast: 5-6cm deep, 100-120 per minute. Keep arms straight, push from your shoulders
After 30 compressions: tilt head back, lift chin, pinch nose, seal your mouth over theirs
Give 2 rescue breaths — each lasting about 1 second. Watch for chest rise
Continue 30:2 cycle until paramedics arrive or person starts breathing normally
If an AED (defibrillator) is available, turn it on and follow the voice prompts — it won't shock unless needed
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