Douglas Alexander MP and Martin Whitfield MSP have welcomed the launch of a new campaign to encourage the public to be more confident in situations where someone requires first aid.

The ‘Taking the Fear Out of First Aid’ campaign has been launched by St Andrew’s First Aid (SAFA), Scotland’s leading first aid charity, after research revealed that fear – particularly of doing something wrong – remains the biggest barrier to bystander intervention in first aid.

To address this, SAFA has launched its campaign, aimed at breaking down psychological barriers and encouraging wider engagement with first aid training. By raising awareness and growing public confidence, the campaign seeks to save more lives across Scotland.

Key findings from SAFA’s research, conducted by YouGov for the charity, included seven per cent of Scottish adults admitting they had been in a situation where they could have administered first aid but chose not to. Just 12 percent of Scots said they would feel very confident stepping in during an emergency.

With 3,200 people in Scotland experiencing an out-of-hospital-cardiac arrest (OHCA) every year, and a survival rate of less than 1 in 10, SAFA says the seven per cent who chose not to step in equates to 224 lives potentially being lost.

The top concerns preventing action were:

• Fear of doing something wrong – 61%
• Fear of making the situation worse – 58%
• Lack of knowledge or training – 46%

Douglas Alexander MP said:

“When it comes to first aid, fear of doing something wrong or making the situation worse are perfectly natural concerns. However, with the right training and knowledge we can help people to be more confident about stepping into a first aid emergency and potentially help save a life.

“That’s why I’m pleased to support SAFA’s new campaign and encourage schools, communities and individuals to find out more about opportunities for accessing first aid education today.”

Martin Whitfield MSP said:

“The findings of this first aid research make for worrying reading, with just 1 in 10 Scots currently feeling confident about stepping in during an emergency. However, if we can help create a more confident, first-aid-ready Scotland that figure can change.

“With over 200 lives a year potentially able to be saved if more people felt confident about helping in a first aid emergency, I welcome this campaign and encourage groups and individuals to explore the training and information available from SAFA.”

Find out more about the campaign and the first aid education and training provided by SAFA at www.firstaid.org.uk.