Objectives: Basic life support (BLS) training in
schools is associated with improved outcomes from
cardiac arrest. International consensus statements have
recommended universal BLS training for school-aged
children. The current practice of BLS training in
London schools is unknown. The aim of this study
was to assess current practices of BLS training in
London secondary schools.
Setting, population and outcomes: A prospective
audit of BLS training in London secondary schools was
conducted. Schools were contacted by email, and a
subsequent telephone interview was conducted with
staff familiar with local training practices. Response
data were anonymised and captured electronically.
Universal training was defined as any programme which
delivers BLS training to all students in the school.
Descriptive statistics were used to summarise the
results.
Results: A total of 65 schools completed the survey
covering an estimated student population of 65 396
across 19 of 32 London boroughs. There were 5 (8%)
schools that provide universal training programmes for
students and an additional 31 (48%) offering training as
part of an extracurricular programme or chosen
module. An automated external defibrillator (AED) was
available in 18 (28%) schools, unavailable in 40 (61%)
and 7 (11%) reported their AED provision as unknown.
The most common reasons for not having a universal
BLS training programme are the requirement for
additional class time (28%) and that funding is
unavailable for such a programme (28%). There were 5
students who died from sudden cardiac arrest over the
period of the past 10 years.
Conclusions: BLS training rates in London secondary
schools are low, and the majority of schools do not
have an AED available in case of emergency. These data
highlight an opportunity to improve BLS training and
AEDs provision. Future studies should assess
programmes which are cost-effective and do not require
significant amounts of additional class time.