West Midlands Ambulance Service hosts essential 'bleed training'

• Nancy Cole went along to the training session

West Midlands Ambulance Service has hosted a 'stop the bleed' training session to give people the skills and confidence they need to save lives.

Staff at the service say bleeding is the single most preventable cause of death - but there are simple techniques that can help prevent fatalities.

The training day, which was held at the West Midlands Ambulance Sandwell hub, was free to sign up to and helped participants know what to do to help stem the flow of blood before paramedics arrive.

It involves using bleed control kits - of which there are over 800 across the West Midlands - or improvising with items they may have on them.

Nathan Hudson from the service says: "It can be anything really from road traffic collisions, industrial injuries or even stabbings."

"When people are faced with that kind of situation sometimes they don't know what to do so today is really about helping the general public to have a little bit of knowledge, a little bit of confidence, to be able to deal with those types of situations before the medics arrive."

The event is run in conjunction with citizenAID, a charity that's provided the videos and teaching for the sessions.

Their work is backed by the James Brindley Foundation - set up in the name of James who was fatally stabbed in Aldridge in 2017 as he walked home, it says it's vital learning.

Mark Brindley says it's not just important in the Midlands, but across the whole county.

"Knife crime and traumatic events happen across the country and everybody needs to know how to save a life - and that includes their own life."

"A simple course like this is an absolute must for everyone in society", he adds.

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