Great Western Coffee Shop

From the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-11385064):

Can't say much for the source, but it get's worse............. :-X

http://www.penaltyfareappeal.co.uk/wordpress/?p=633 (http://www.penaltyfareappeal.co.uk/wordpress/?p=633)

What they don't mention is the fact that if you try and give someone first aid and do it wrong then you can be sued, hence why I wouldn't have given first aid as the ambulance chasers would soon be after you!

So what's the point of having First Aid training at all then?

Many years ago I completed the St John Ambulance First Aid at Work course. I still retain the knowledge and despite not having an up to date certificate, I wouldn't hesitate to use my knowledge if needed. The fear of being sued would not even enter my mind if I was doing all I could, to the best of my ability, to preserve the life of my fellow human being.

Back in 2002 I had to use my training for real, even though my 3 year certificate had lapsed. I was witness to a very nasty RTC involving a moped rider. She had been side-swiped by a car that was turning right on the A38 outside Taunton. The moped rider was hit with such force that her helmet had come off in the impact. I estimated on my witness statement that she was thrown at least 20 feet into the air. On reaching the casualty I could see she was in a very bad way with obvious serious injuries to her limbs. A femur sticking out of a thigh through jeans is not a pretty sight. I'm no fan of the sight of blood, but surprised myself in not being physically sick.

I did the DR ABC routine to check on her airway and vital signs and whilst doing this the casualty's heart and breathing stopped. I was joined by an off duty nurse and we started CPR with me pumping and the nurse breathing, along with a third person attempting to stem blood loss from both legs. Fortunately she was lying on her back after the collision so we didn't have the dilemma of whether to move her to affect CPR. We kept this up until an ambulance arrived (some 15 mins) twice getting the poor girl's heart and breathing going again.

A week or so later, I got a very nice letter from the girl's father, thanking me for my help on the day along with an offer of money, which I declined and suggested he donate to charity instead. A follow up letter 4 months later from the girl herself thanked me for saving her life - she was on the way to full recovery - and we kept in touch for a couple of years.

I wouldn't hesitate to do the same again. If I'd thought "Sod it, I don't want to risk being sued", there's a good chance she'd've died there on the dual carriageway.  I think that the risk of being sued is grossly overstated anyway. Sued for what exactly? It can't be medical negligence if your not a medical professional.

Only bad thing about the day (apart from the visible injuries) was the first Paramedic on the scene who assumed one of us had removed her helmet. Running up and shouting "Who the **** took her helmet off?" My reply was equally forthright!

Edited for typos

My point is we're not trained in first aid so I wouldn't have a clue what to do! I notice that some platform staff at EXD and PLY are First aid trained though.

It is an interesting dilemma vacman. My personal belief is that First Aid training should be part of the National Curriculum and then refresher training should be provided by further education establishments as well as all employers to all staff.

Purely hypothetical, and not picking on you personally vacman, but what would you do if faced with a casualty and you were on your own? Let's say you had no working mobile as well.....

I've done first aid training although I can't remember much of it!

There has been no legal precedent in the UK where someone has been sued for inappropiate or inaffective use of First Aid.

http://www.reactfirst.co.uk/live/Tips8.asp

This document provides some background to the law, both criminal and civil:

http://www.resus.org.uk/pages/legal.pdf

The final paragraph of the document is perhaps the most salient:

Not quite as fraught as your example 'bnm', but I have used my 30 year old St John first aid course knowledge a couple of times in anger, both for bad cuts, and once simply to help an old fella who was having a bad time in the heat.

I think the advantage a proper course gives you, even without regular refreshers, is that if they use good injury simulations, you should be able to take charge of the situation without turning away in shock yourself!

Paul

Sorry but don't agree.  Regardless of your training, you have a human and moral responsibiltity to help if you can.  If you are not trained then you can't be criticised for not knowing what to do, but if you don't need to have any training to do the minimum which would be to call help, talk to the casuality, perhaps try and keep them warm.  Even if you fail and the person dies because you are clueless about how to save them, better that they die with you talking their hand and talking to them.     

But the story re FCC does seem rather garbled and I don't think we can criticise without having more details.  Criticising someone for not giving "medical assistance"  is unfair unless that person had been to medical school.  But you don't need any training to comfort and talk to someone who has collapsed. 

What do you determine as "first aid", Iwouldn't hesitate to keep someone warm etc but that isn't "medical help".

According to Railway Eye. this seems to be another 'non story'.

http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/09/first-for-walking-by-on-other-side.html (http://railwayeye.blogspot.com/2010/09/first-for-walking-by-on-other-side.html)

The modern media just cannot wait to criticise first and sort out what really happened later, usually with their error being reported on p94...

Did the story ever really need to be reported at all in the first place?

Paul

Everyone at FGW (at least the FGW employees, i.e. not agency) get trained in Emergency First Aid when they join the company in the induction months.....

I have always tried to keep my First Aid information up to date. We also have Defibs on most of the platforms here at PAD (except one is still waiting to replaced after the old one expired (yes they have expiry dates on them.))

I actually think the reason FCC don't train in First Aid is because of cost. Having spoken to some FCC staff that come through PAD, they are moaning that FCC is cutting down everything including training, one guy even said that he only got 1 hours training on how to use the ticket machine.
Oh how the grass isnt greener (or pinker) on the other side!!!!

There have also been a lot of management changes at FCC recently. Barbie (aka Elaine Holt) has poached a fair few of the better managers to join her at East Coast.