Bags First Aid

September 2021

Return to full class sizes as Scotland moves beyond Covid-19 level 0

Blended learning 2 Day Paediatric First Aid

Bags First Aid now offer the 2 Day Paediatric course in the option of a blended course, one day face to face and the remaining content distance learning. All the important practical skills are taught face to face using manikins as required.

Covid-19 secure First Aid training 2021

Training continues to be delivered in a Covid-19 secure manner in line with HSE workplace guidence.

Mental Health & Physical well-being - Night Walking

Covid-19 secure First Aid training

Training will resume ahead of the August schools / early years / child care start. We will prioritise courses for teachers, classroom assistants, nursery nurses , childminders and childcare staff who need First Aid training before resuming work in August. Courses will all cover Covid-19 safe resuscitation and use of enhanced personal protective equipment (PPE) in light of risk of Coronavirus.

Our new baby daughter born 21st December 2019!

What a fantastic Christmas with our new arrival. Preparing now for a busy winter. Lots of nurseries going for Millie’s Mark. Bags Paediatric courses are a great way to achieve this.

We’re expecting a baby!

With a new arrival due this December the importance of First Aid for parents is brought to the fore. Parents can take advantage of the pay-per-place courses at EICA : Ratho or arrange a group session at a local venue.

World First Aid day 2019

Bags took the First Aid message out to the hills on World First Aid day. A very windy CPR session at the top of Carnethy Hill in the Pentlands, Edinburgh

Free AED / CPR

After the pay-per-place open courses I have run a short session on defibrillator use and CPR. These have been really popular so keep an eye on events for future sessions.

Pyrenees Cycling and Mountaineering

June saw an early summer trip to France with the bike. 10 Grand Tour Cols climbed and scaled Pic du Midi at 2877 Meters photos on Instagram @bagsfirstaid

First Aid Conference

A very productive day with talks from Epilepsy Scotland, Stroke Association, Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance, Health Protection Scotland and NHS Scotland.

Arctic Adventure

As some of you who have been on Bags First Aid courses know I have a great love of the north, be it the Scottish Highlands, Scandinavia or Canada. This winter I will be taking time off from First Aid training to visit Arctic Lapland in Finland. I will still be responding to emails so that is the best way to get in touch. I will be available for First Aid training from mid February 2019. If you would like to follow the trip I will try and post some updates on Instagram @bagsfirstaid

Pay-per-place open courses at EICA : Ratho

The first open course at EICA : Ratho was a fantastic success. The Edinburgh International Climbing Arena has conference facilities and the course used the space of the Patey Suite with it’s commanding view of the climbing arena below. Look out for future courses at this venue.

Tourniquets (updated 2021)

In 2015, for the first time, the European Resuscitation Council published guidelines on First Aid procedures other than resuscitation and life support. In regard to control of bleeding they state that where bleeding cannot be controlled by direct pressure it may be possible to control bleeding by the use of a tourniquet or haemostatic dressing.

Many First Aid training companies are now including use of tourniquet on courses without any thought as to the relevance or the level of training required to use these effectively.  We do not teach use of tourniquet on our First Aid courses for the following reasons:

Studies show that in a civilian setting only 0.01% of trauma fatalities would have benefited from tourniquet use.

(Statistics from European Resuscitation Council supporting research carried out in America)

Even during a 3 day course it would only be appropriate to dedicate a few seconds to the topic as there are many other skills which would have a greater relevance to life saving.

Most companies do not have and never intend to have tourniquets in their First Aid Kit.  Tourniquets around £20 each, minimum of two would be required.

These items cannot be effectively improvised: “Improvised tourniquet is not recommended because of low efficiency and severe pain” Guo JY, Liu Y, Ma YL, Pi HY, Wang JR. Evaluation of emergency tourniquets for prehospital use in China. Chin J Traumatol 2011;14:151–5.

Effective use of tourniquet requires extensive training and regular refresher training. Even amongst Military Combat Medics it has been identified that training is lacking. We are aware of trainers from other companies teaching use of tourniquet having, themselves, only watched a short video demonstration.  As incorrect use can cause more harm than good this skill is best left to those undertaking extensive and regular training to work in high risk combat zones.

The research referenced by the European Resuscitation Council sums up: “the focus of first aid training for civilian populations should continue to deemphasize tourniquet use and focus instead on early medical assistance and the use of direct pressure to control hemorrhage.” Stephen L Richey

So going back to the European Resuscitation Council guidelines.... because in 99.99% of trauma cases, bleeding CAN be controlled by direct pressure, Bags First Aid concentrate on teaching this as the preferred treatment.