A Tayside charity providing lifesaving skills to thousands of people has called for training in schools.
Heartstart Discovery, which is funded by NHS Tayside, has taught vital emergency techniques to almost 60,000 people.
The community initiative launched in 1997 and is partnered by the British Heart Foundation to promote and develop life support training.
Around 70% of cardiac arrests occur outside of the hospital environment and many people will sadly die before they receive medical care.
But with an army of lifesavers, thousands of lives could be saved.
According to Heartstart, if just 10% of the population knew how to resuscitate someone, survival chances would more than double.
The video above this article gives information on The Courier’s First Aid Kids campaign
Helen Brady, co-ordinator of Heartstart Discovery said: “Emergency life support training is a basic skill that everyone should have.
“It’s something that we’re all able to do and if we’re taught young enough that skill that we acquire really could save a life.
“The actions we take before the emergency services arrive are crucial and could be the difference between life and death.”
Last year, 34% of Heartstart attendees were aged 26-45, while just 10% were under-16.
Outside of the free training scheme, Heartstart run a schools initiative across Tayside.
But schools are free to decide whether school children should be able to learn first aid in the classroom, meaning thousands of children are missing out on the lifesaving skills.
In Dundee, some primary schools, such as Rosebank, Ancrum Road and Ballumbie, have never had Heartstart training.
Whitfield, and SS Peter and Paul Primary School have not received any training as part of the scheme since 2014.
This theme continues throughout Tayside, as several schools in Angus recorded no Heartstart training, including Strathmartine, Inverkeillor, Ladyloan and Carlogie.
In Perth and Kinross, several schools have no record of Heartstart training.
But Ms Brady said she hopes to see all school children learn to become lifesavers.
She said: “Helping someone has got to be better than nothing at all and that’s why Heartstart Discovery is trying to make sure everyone has the ability to help.
“I would be very keen to see first aid and CPR training introduced to all schools.
“We start at P1 level and teach them what to say on the phone to emergency services.
“We improve this through to P7 where we’ll teach CPR and then there is the potential for this to be carried on into secondary during health weeks.”
