Southampton City Council funds enhanced first aid training and emergency bleed control kits to help make nights out safer

Street Pastors and trained first aiders from night-time venues in Southampton are to benefit from enhanced training on how to control serious bleeds in emergency situations

The specialist ‘stop the bleed training’ delivered by Paramedics, supported by South Central Ambulance Charity will help give confidence to trained first aiders on how to stem extreme blood loss using emergency bleed control kits until paramedics arrive.

Southampton City Council have purchased 25 kits using funds from the fourth round of the Safer Streets project secured in 2022, via the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner.

Volunteers from the Southampton Street Pastors were given six kits, to use over the festive season if needed. More training is to be rolled to security door staff and trained first aiders out over the next couple of months.

Jack Ansell, Community Engagement & Training Officer at SCAS said:

We have been pleased to work with the team at Southampton City Council to provide this essential life-saving equipment and training, which has been provided by our volunteer enhanced care Paramedics, who, sadly are seeing an increase in these types of injuries, We know that early identification and treatment, as well as rapid transport to hospital is what will save lives and by providing training to those likely to be first on scene, it has the potential to make a big difference to survivability.

Mike Sarson, spokesperson for Southampton Street Pastors said:

“Southampton Street Pastors are grateful to have been supplied six 'bleed-kits' along with excellent training in their use from South Central Ambulance Service. We feel better equipped to deal with any stabbing type of incident that we are called to or come across. These kits will save lives.”

Councillor Matt Renyard, Cabinet Member for a Safer City comments:

“In emergency situations, first aid is crucial and can make all the difference in saving someone’s life. Enabling trained first aiders to access emergency bleed control kits is an excellent example of how we are helping to make the city safer, and in turn supporting our paramedic and emergency department colleagues who are under immense pressure.

“We’re pleased to have been able to equip our key partners that support people in the night-time economy with relevant training, toolkits and confidence in helping to spot vulnerability, target perpetrators and prevent harassment. A big thank you to the South Central Ambulance Charity for delivering this training.”

Police and Crime Commissioner Donna Jones said:

“Everyone deserves to feel safe on a night out but sadly, incidents do happen where people are seriously injured and need urgent help.

“The bleed control kits are just one example of how the Safer Streets funding is ensuring those who work in night time economy have the right equipment to keep people safe and respond to emergencies alongside the police and ambulance service.

“For victims of knife crime especially, injuries can be a matter of life and death in just a few minutes. There is no doubt that delivering first aid quickly is absolutely vital when it comes to saving lives.”

In addition, in 2021 Southampton City Council was awarded further funding focused on improving the safety of women at night and preventing violence against women and girls (VAWG) in public spaces. This includes a ‘Pop Up Safe Zone’ provided by St John Ambulance that provides a safe space and first aid area opposite the Cenotaph on weekends.

During 2021 to 2022, 90 clinical cases were treated of which 55 incidents would have otherwise needed an ambulance to be called, therefore, relieving pressure on the ambulance service.