Call for life-saving blood kits to be installed in all Welsh schools

Martin Shipton

A campaigning councillor has called for all schools in Wales to have life-saving critical bleed control kits as part of a major safety boost.

Shaun Greaney, a Labour member of Llanelli Town Council, argues that the kits are essential to prevent potential tragedies at secondary and primary schools.

He said: “I have written to the new Cabinet Minister for Education, Anna Brychan, stating that at just £95 each these kits represent such good value for money that it would be absurd not to invest in them.

“After all, as a society we shouldn’t be asking what price is a child’s life worth. I think the kits will be seen as a crucial safety tool in the same way that defibrillators are.

“Nothing is more precious than a child’s life. I sincerely hope the initiative is taken up before there is a preventable tragedy.”

Cllr Greaney said the kits were “very impressive” and could be used to deal with a whole range of emergencies involving blood loss.

He has challenged the new Plaid Cymru Welsh Government to demonstrate its commitment to the safety of the nation’s children with his call for universal provision of the kits in every school in Wales.

The councillor has donated a kit to Llanelli mental health charity Links. It has been placed in the defibrillator cabinet in Llanelli’s Queen Victoria Road.

Links general manager Michele Rees said: “Having this equipment readily available is vital, as rapid treatment of severe bleeding can help save lives before emergency services arrive.”

The defibrillator was installed years ago following a fundraising drive by Cllr Greaney and Links.

Mrs Rees said: “Since the defibrillator was installed, it has already been accessed three times, highlighting how important it is to have this lifesaving equipment in and around our community.”’ Cllr Greaney also pushed for the installation of the kits for emergencies in existing community centre and park defibrillator boxes, an initiative backed by the then Labour-controlled Llanelli town council.

The kits contain military-grade equipment and a simple-to-follow body map instruction card.

The main features are a tourniquet, Fox chest seal and haemostatic gauze together with blunt-edged shears, gloves, foil blanket, resuscitation shield and trauma fix bandage. They are designed to help with major blood loss while the injured party waits for the emergency services to attend.

Forner Llanelli paramedic, Labour county councillor Rob Evans, a GoodSam emergency responder, has been instrumental in obtaining 10 kits for primary schools in the town, enlisting the generosity of Llanelli businessman Paul Brookfield.

Central database

The kits have all been registered on the national Bleed Map – a central database of all emergency bleed control kits in the UK – enabling the public to find the nearest kit as quickly as possible.

In south Wales the scheme is being spearheaded by charity Heartbeat Trust UK, under its trustee, former High Sheriff of West Glamorgan Melanie James.

The initiative also has the backing of Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith.