Latest news with #SaveALifeCymru
BBC News
3 days ago
- Health
- BBC News
CPR theory test changes 'mean so much' to dad after daughter's death
A dad has said it became his "mission" to increase awareness about CPR and how to use a defibrillator after his daughter's Len Noakes, chair of NHS group Save a Life Cymru, has spearheaded the push for changes to be made to driving theory tests which will result in a new set of first aid questions being added early next daughter Claire Noakes tragically died at the age of 25 from complications following a cardiac arrest in Noakes said he was left in tears after the theory test changes, hailing it as a "significant step" towards increasing survival rates from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Wales, which are currently less than 5%. Speaking previously to NHS Wales, Prof Noakes said he received a phone from his daughter's friend saying she had collapsed."By the time we got there, which is only five minutes away, the paramedics were there already working on Claire," he Noakes told Radio Wales Drive he remembered asking if his daughter was breathing when he received the phone person said she was breathing but "it was funny", the medical director at Cardiff City FC said she was showing signs of agonal breathing, or sudden, irregular gasps of breath, which is closely associated with a cardiac arrest. "But you wouldn't expect someone who isn't aware of cardiac arrests to know that."Prof Noakes said he hoped young drivers having the knowledge and ability to identify a cardiac arrest will help people in similar situations."They can get on and dial 999. They will tell you how to start CPR and where the nearest defibrillator is," he Noakes' daughter spent the next nine months unresponsive before she died."You can't stop this happening. But you can do your best to make sure other families don't have to go through this," he said. Prof Noakes said he looked to other European countries for inspiration when he was appointed as the chair of Save a Life Cymru, which was established in 2019 by the Welsh government to make sure people know what to do if an out of hospital cardiac arrest said: "Some have the CPR in the driving test. Combining this with education has led to a significant rise in the survival rate."Prof Noakes described Wales' survival rate as "shocking" but said he hoped these changes will increase the said it "meant so much" to know that questions are being added to the driving theory test early next since they are aimed at new drivers, what advice does he have for people who have already passed their theory test?"Go online. There are a number of online tutorials you can look at," he said."If you want to physically learn how to do it there are a number of organisations offering training such as the St John's Ambulance service."We can all give it our best shot to help someone having a cardiac arrest."
The Independent
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Major driving theory test change learner drivers must know about
Learner drivers will be tested on CPR and defibrillator skills as part of an update to the theory test from early next year. The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) is implementing the change, noting that motorists are often the first on the scene during cardiac arrest incidents. The update aims to provide candidates with a better understanding of life-saving skills, potentially improving survival rates for the over 40,000 people who experience out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK annually. Research highlights that survival rates can increase significantly if CPR is given and a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes of collapse. The push for this change was led by Professor Len Nokes, chair of the Save a Life Cymru scheme, whose daughter died from cardiac arrest complications.
