Hands-only CPR with Vinnie Jones

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has become the first organisation in the UK to actively promote hands-only CPR. Backed by the Resuscitation Council UK, the charity says anyone who doesn't have CPR training should now ignore the kiss of life in favour of hard and fast compressions in the centre of the chest.

The TV advert, with former footballer and actor, Vinnie Jones shows how simple hands-only CPR can be, encouraging more people to help if someone is in cardiac arrest. Jones said: "There really shouldn't be any messing about when it comes to CPR. If you're worried about the kiss of life just forget it and push hard and fast in the centre of the chest to Stayin' Alive."



A recent survey revealed that four in ten people feared they'd be sued if they did something wrong, despite the fact there has never been a successful case of that kind in the UK. The BHF is urging people to put aside their concerns and intervene because without CPR of some kind there is a very small chance of someone surviving cardiac arrest. Chest compressions with rescue breaths will continue to be part of gold standard CPR and taught during formal training, including on the BHF's Heartstart courses.

Ellen Mason, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation, said: "The kiss of life can often be daunting for untrained bystanders who want to help when someone has collapsed with a cardiac arrest. Hands-only CPR should give lots of people the confidence and know-how to help save someone in cardiac arrest, the ultimate medical emergency."

"It's very simple; call 999 and then push hard and fast in the centre of the chest at a tempo similar to Stayin' Alive by the Bee Gees. If you're untrained or unconfident about the kiss of life give hands-only CPR a go instead - it could help save someone's life."

To find out more, visit bhf.org.uk/handsonlyCPR.

January 2012