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First Aid & Useful Information

This page contains links to documents with further information about first aid procedures  of health resources in the region. Please also see the recommended websites and our self referral page for further web-based health information and resources.

CPR 

If you witness a cardiac arrest, it is crucial to call 999 and start CPR immediately.  Please see a quick guide below, taken from the British Heart Foundation website. (Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, there are several important changes to CPR as advised by the Resuscitation Council UK).  If you find someone unconscious follow these simple steps:

  • Shake the person gently and shout for help
  • Call 999
  • Don't put your face close to theirs.  If you think there's a risk of infection, use a towel or a piece of clothing and lay it over their mouth and nose
  • Give chest compressions only - do not give rescue breaths
  • Continue until an ambulance arrives - continuing to shout for help
  • After the ambulance crew have taken over wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water or use alcohol based hand gel

The Recovery Position

If a person is unconscious but is breathing and has no other life-threatening conditions, they should be placed in the recovery position.  Putting someone in the recovery position will keep their airway clear and open.  It also ensures that any vomit or fluid won't cause them to choke.  For further information and videos please visit the NHS Scotland website

  • With the person lying on their back, kneel on the floor at their side
  • Extend the arm nearest you at a right angle to their body with their palm facing up
  • Take their other arm and fold it so the back of their hand rests on the cheek closest to you, and hold it in place
  • Use your free hand to bend the person's knee farthest from you to a right angle
  • Carefully roll the person onto their side by pulling on the bent knee
  • Their bent arm should be supporting the head, and their extended arm will stop you rolling them too far
  • Make sure their bent leg is at a right angle
  • Open their airway by gently tilting their head back and lifting their chin, and check that nothing is blocking their airway
  • Stay with the person and monitor their condition until help arrives

Spinal Injury

If you think a person may have a spinal injury, do not attempt to move them until the emergency services reach you. If it is necessary to open their airway, place your hands on either side of their head and gently lift their jaw with your fingertips to open the airway.  Take care not to move their neck.  You should suspect a spinal injury if the person:

  • Has been involved in an incident that's directly affected their spine, such as a fall from height or being struck directly in the back
  • Complains of severe pain in their neck or back
  • Won't move their neck
  • Feels weak, numb or paralysed
  • Has lost control of their limbs, bladder or bowels

Heart Attack

A heart attack is a medical emergency and you should call 999 for an ambulance immediately.  It happens when there's a sudden loss of blood flow to a part of the heart muscle.  Without enough blood and oxygen your heart can be seriously damaged.  Please see a quick guide of what you should do if you suspect a heart attack taken from the British Heart Foundation Website 

Symptoms

  • Pain or discomfort in your chest that happens suddenly and doesn't go away
  • Pain that spreads to your left or right arm, or to your neck, jaw, back or stomach.  For some people the pain or tightness is severe, while for others its uncomfortable.  It may feel like heaviness, or a burning pain similar to indigestion
  • Feeling sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath

What should i do if is suspect a heart attack?

  • Call 999 for an ambulance
  • Sit down and stay calm
  • Take a 300mg aspirin if you have some within reach (DO NOT TAKE if allergic to aspirin)
  • Wait for the paramedics

First Aid - Stop Bleeding

There are excellent resources via the NHS Website advising how to administer first aid and help stop a bleeding wound.  If someone is bleeding heavily, the main aim is to prevent further blood loss and minimise the effects of shock.  Always seek medical attention for bleeding, unless minor. Below are some simple steps:

  • If you have disposable gloves, use them to reduce the risk of any infection being passed on
  • Check that there is nothing embedded in the wound.  If there is, take care not to press down on the object
  • Instead press firmly on either side of the object and build up padding around it before bandaging to avoid putting pressure on the object
  • If nothing is embedded, apply and maintain pressure to the wound with your gloved hand, using a clean pad or dressing if possible.  Continue to apply pressure until the bleeding stops 
  • Use a clean dressing to bandage the wound firmly
  • If bleeding continues through the pad, apply pressure to the wound until the bleeding stops, and then apply another pad over the top and bandage it in place.  Do not remove the original pad or dressing, but continue to check that the bleeding has stopped
  • If a body part, such as a finger, has been severed, place it in a plastic bag or wrap it in cling film.  Do not wash the severed limb
  • Wrap the package in soft fabric and place in a container of crushed ice.  Do not let the limb touch the ice

Burns & Scalds

If someone has a burn or scald:

  • Cool the burn as quickly as possible with cool running water for at least 20 minutes or until the pain is relieved
  • Call 999 or seek medical help if needed
  • While cooling the burn, carefully remove any clothing or jewellery unless it is attached to the skin
  • If you are cooling a large burnt area, particularly in babies, children and elderly people, be aware that it may cause hypothermia (it may be necessary to stop cooling the burn to avoid hypothermia)
  • Cover the burn loosely with cling film.  If cling film isn't available, use a clean, dry dressing or non fluffy material.  Do not wrap the burn tightly as swelling may lead to further injury
  • Do not apply creams, lotions or sprays to the burn

Advice leaflets