Most parents lack confidence to perform first aid on their children

The poll of parents across the UK, asked what action they would take in several scenarios and, more importantly, recorded respondents’ confidence and willingness to act when faced with an emergency situation.

While 46 per cent worried about getting something wrong, a mere 9 per cent of parents expressed strong confidence and got three first aid scenarios right. Worrying statistics from recent surveys show that more than a million children each year in the UK are involved in an accident at home .

Joe Mulligan, head of first aid education services at the British Red Cross, said: “Nothing is more important to a parent than the health, happiness and well being of their child.

"The lack of confidence or fear of getting something wrong is a concern amongst parents. However accidents do happen and typically the carer or parent will be first on the scene. In response to this we are making first aid more accessible, flexible and free."

The online advice and learning resources are designed to make it easy to pick up first aid skills and instil confidence to respond when required.

"It also enables busy parents who may not always find time to attend a first aid course, to learn essential life-saving skills in their own homes, at their own pace,” said Mulligan.

Accessible by logging on to the Children First Aid website, the new tool covers a number of different topics and offers a range of different materials including videos, quizzes, animations, audio and downloadable resources.

Thirty-year-old mother of one Katherine Jones has found the British Red Cross children’s first aid site an apt refresher to the First Aid course she took a year ago. Katherine, a solicitor, juggles demanding professional duties and parenthood, working three days a week and looking after 18-months-old daughter Eve.

She says: “I couldn’t find time to do another first aid course at the moment as my hands are full with work and the bundle of energy that is Eve. In that regard, the Red Cross Children First Aid site is a priceless resource to me, and a precious discovery indeed. It’s easy to use and free, and I recommend other parents to use it.”

To learn basic first aid skills that could save your child or baby’s life please visit http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/First-aid/Children-first-aid