Delivering training in life-saving skills
17 July 2023
A medical student who has helped train over 2,800 members of the public and students in lifesaving CPR techniques graduates from Cardiff University this week.
Starting in 2020, during the pandemic lockdowns, Elliot Phillips joined forces with other medical students to write an open letter, expressing their concerns that Wales was being left behind in CPR training.
The students, led by Elliot, launched what they believe to be the first scheme of its kind in the world to teach life-saving skills to students. The Students Save Lives scheme was rolled out across the University, as well as hosting sessions with members of the public across Wales.
“Wales has one of the lowest out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates in Europe; just one in 20 survive, while in Norway and the Netherlands this figure is around one in four."
“We have a huge population of 33,260 students here at the University, which is an amazing, as yet untapped, resource of intelligent and enthusiastic learners who could save lives if they are equipped with the right skills.
“It was a real opportunity to address the current very poor rate of survival in Wales. For every 3,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Wales just 200 people survive, and for every minute that someone doesn’t get CPR, their chances of survival decrease by 10%,” said Elliot.
Through running the programme Elliot and his team of students from the Schools of Medicine and Healthcare Sciences have equipped over 350 students and over 2,500 members of the public in lifesaving CPR skills.
Elliot has joined the Royal Glamorgan hospital as a junior doctor, working in general surgery, emergency medicine and anaesthetics – with a keen interest in shaping his career around Emergency and Resuscitative Medicine.
He also hopes to continue to be engaged with the Students Save Lives programme that he helped to found.
“We worked with the Welsh Government-backed Save a Life Cymru programme to bring about the scheme, and built it from the ground. It was excellent to watch it progress and I wouldn’t want to miss out on seeing the scheme continue to grow, as we're rolling out the scheme to other Schools and hopefully to other universities in Wales next year.
“I hope to progress through my career with a focus on pre-hospital care and emergency medicine. As I continue on in my career as a doctor, I want to continue to see the Students Save Lives programme progress and equip even more students and members of the public with the skills that make a real difference on the scene of a cardiac arrest,” added Elliot.
