Inside Your Hospital: Staff teach the public how to ‘Stop the Bleed’
Staff at the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre have now trained over 1,000 people across Nottingham on how to stop life threatening bleeding.
The Stop the Bleed course delivered by Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH) teaches members of the public how to potentially save a life from trauma injuries, such as knife wounds, using bleed kits or everyday items, such as a tie or scarf.
Major Trauma Consultant Surgeon, Elena Theophilidou said: “If you have been stabbed the number one cause of death is bleeding. This training can be the difference between life and death. Time is everything and the quicker the patient can get help the better the outcome.”
NUH was the first hospital trust in the country to offer the training to external businesses and members of the public.
Since 2018 over 1,000 people across the city have been trained including: police officers, door staff, street pastors and city centre workers.
Zoe Draper, Major Trauma Case Manager said: “The course teaches three techniques on how to manage life threatening bleeding.
“We use the ABC approach. A – Alert. Call 999 and get help. B – Bleed. Identify where the bleed is. C – Control. Control the bleeding with direct pressure and wait for help to arrive.”
NUH has partnered with Nottingham Business District (BID) to offer the training to their partners and venues across Nottingham city.
The BID have purchased over 100 bleed kits that are distributed in shops, venues and bars within the city. They are similar to first aid kits, and contain a tourniquet, bandage and haemostatic gauze.
In a 999 emergency East Midlands Ambulance Service will be able to advise where the nearest bleed kit is.
Elena added: “The kit is great but you don’t need it to provide lifesaving treatment. We teach the skills and give household alternatives if a bleed kit is not available.
“The most important thing is to compress the wound until help arrives. It can literally be the difference between life and death.”
Although the course is not specifically designed for stabbings, figures show that knife related injuries are on the rise.
Zoe said: “It’s not just about stabbings and the course teaches that but now you’re more likely to find a stab victim that needs your help.”
In the past year the East Midlands Major Trauma Centre has seen over 200 stab injury admissions in 16 – 25 year olds.
Elena and Zoe now want to expand the training into universities and schools across the city.
Elena said: “We’ve seen more teenage knife crime than we ever have before.
“It’s quite shocking to say we need to educate teenagers on how to use a bleed kit but unfortunately it’s becoming part of life now.”
The courses provided by NUH already have and will continue to save lives.
Zoe added: “We want to train as many people as we can. It’s worth it even if we save one life.”
The training is delivered as the accredited Stop the Bleed course developed in America by the American College of Surgeons.