A team from Lincolnshire Heart Centre gave up their own time to provide CPR training to more than 120 students during one afternoon.
The team of specialists visited Boston Grammar School where they held sessions for sixth form students to learn the skills needed to help save a life in the event of a cardiac arrest. They also met with members of the school’s medical society about applications to medical school and life as a doctor.
Consultant Cardiologist David O’Brien, Consultant Cardiologist Dinal Taleyratne, Lead Resuscitation Practitioner Monique Loveday and Cardiology Ward Sister Chelsea Spencer trained 128 at the Rowley Road school. They were joined by Student Paramedic Aakash Jansari.
Dr Taleyratne said: “Education is a powerful tool and it was great to have the opportunity to share our skills with the students. As a team we would like to offer more sessions like this to young people and schools.
“In just a few hours we have managed to equip these students with the skills they need to be able to save a life. We hope they are never in a position where they need to perform CPR, but if they do they now know what to do.”
Professor David O’Brien is professor of medical education at the School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, and is also Vice-Dean at the Lincoln Medical School. He has worked as an interventional cardiologist in United Lincolnshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for 16 years where he was former Clinical Director for Cardiology, opening the Lincolnshire Heart Centre at the Trust in 2013. He has been teaching Advanced Life Support (ALS) for 25 years and has been an ALS course medical director for 15 years.
He said: “As an ALS Committee Member of the Resus Council UK, I appreciate the profound benefits that both timely basic and advanced life support training provide to patients. A massive thank you to Boston Grammar School for the warm welcome, it was inspiring to see so many students practicing CPR and getting involved.
“In addition to the training, it was great to talk to students who may be interested in a career within the health service. Who knows, we might have even inspired a few to join the medical profession.”
Professor O’Brien, Dr Taleyratne and Monique recently visited Sri Lanka and shared their skills with hospital teams and clinicians. Monique said: “Being able to visit students closer to home to give them the skills to potentially save a life has been a real privilege and something that we are keen to develop further. Just think how many lives could be saved if all school children were taught CPR?”
Headteacher, John McHenry said: “It was a truly inspirational afternoon and one that I know will stay with the students throughout their lives. We are so grateful to the team for being so generous with their time and their knowledge.”
Image credit: United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
