Teresa presenting her Private Members’ Bill in the House of Commons.
Teresa today presented her Private Members’ Bill to the House of Commons in which she calls for Emergency First Aid (EFA) education to be made a statutory requirement for all state-funded secondary schools (this would include academies and free schools).
In particular, Teresa’s Bill would make it a legal requirement for secondary schools to provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and defibrillator awareness training for pupils. It is supported by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the British Red Cross, and St John Ambulance.
Following the presentation of the Bill, Teresa said:
“I was pleased to have the opportunity to present this Bill to the House today. Earlier this year I spoke in a packed Westminster Hall Debate about this subject, highlighting how beneficial it would be for society as a whole for CPR and defibrillator awareness training to be made mandatory in schools.
Evidence indicates that people are reluctant to get involved or take action when someone collapses due to a heart condition because they do not feel that they have been given the proper training to react effectively. The Government’s reluctance to enshrine in law this training is denying generations of young people the opportunity to develop practical, life-saving skills at a time when they are most receptive to learning.
The fact is that this Bill provides a practical opportunity to equip school pupils with the knowledge to save lives, and I hope that it will not be missed. I am looking forward to debating the merits of this Bill further at its Second Reading in the House of Commons.”
Teresa’s Bill will be debated during its Second Reading, which is scheduled to take place on Friday 20th November 2015.
