Last updated: October 2025
Restart a Heart Month – every October, we’re reminded of a brutal truth: fewer than 1 in 10 people survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK. That’s not because medical science has failed. It’s because most bystanders don’t know what to do in those critical first minutes before an ambulance arrives.
But here’s the statistic that should really concern you: 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home.
Not at work. Not in public places. At home. Which means the person you’re most likely to need to save isn’t a colleague or a customer – it’s someone you love.
Restart a Heart Month isn’t just about workplace compliance. It’s about making sure you have the skills to protect the people who matter most when every second counts.
The Brutal Statistics Behind Restart a Heart Month
Let’s start with the numbers that should concern every business owner, manager, and parent:
UK Cardiac Arrest Reality:
- 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the UK every year
- Less than 1 in 10 people survive without immediate intervention
- 80% happen at home – during dinner, watching TV, sleeping
- Every minute without CPR = 10% drop in survival chance
- Only 50% of UK adults feel confident performing CPR
- 38% have never had formal CPR training
- 30% wouldn’t attempt CPR even if they witnessed a cardiac arrest
The Ambulance Response Time Problem:
According to NHS England data, the national target for life-threatening emergencies is 7-8 minutes. The reality? In rural areas like Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire, response times regularly exceed 30 minutes.
By the time professional help arrives, it’s often too late – unless someone started CPR immediately.
The Good News:
Immediate CPR can double or triple survival chances. When bystander CPR is combined with defibrillation within 3-5 minutes, survival rates jump to 50-70%, according to the Resuscitation Council UK.
That’s the difference between “less than 1 in 10” and “more than 1 in 2.”
The question is: will you be ready when those minutes count?
First Aid Training Isn’t Just for Workplaces – It’s for the People You Love
Here’s the statistic that should change how you think about first aid training during Restart a Heart Month: 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home.
The Reality of Who You’ll Actually Save:
When we talk about workplace first aid training, we focus on legal obligations, compliance, and duty of care. But the truth is far more personal:
The person you’re most likely to save isn’t a colleague or a customer – it’s someone you love.
- Your partner having a heart attack in the living room
- Your parent collapsing in the kitchen
- Your child choking at the dinner table
- Your friend’s anaphylactic reaction at a barbecue
- Your elderly relative falling and hitting their head
The Home Emergency Statistics:
- 80% of cardiac arrests occur at home or in residential settings
- Average ambulance response time in rural Herefordshire: 30+ minutes
- Every minute without CPR = 10% drop in survival chance
- Most choking deaths happen during family meals
- Severe allergic reactions often occur at home with familiar foods
The Brutal Truth:
When a medical emergency happens at work, there’s usually someone trained nearby. Fire exits are marked. First aid kits are stocked. Procedures are in place.
At home? You’re on your own until the ambulance arrives.
In rural areas like Herefordshire, Worcestershire, and Shropshire, that could be 30 minutes or more. By then, without immediate intervention, it’s often too late.
Why Workplace Training Benefits Your Family:
When you get trained through your workplace, you’re not just fulfilling a legal obligation – you’re learning skills that could save your family.
- The CPR technique you learn for a colleague works exactly the same on your partner
- The choking procedure you practice at work saves your child at dinner
- The defibrillator confidence you build protects your elderly parents
- The bleeding control you master helps your teenager after an accident
Workplace first aid training is actually family protection in disguise.
The Question That Should Keep You Awake:
If your partner, parent, or child collapsed right now at home, would you know what to do? Would you be confident enough to act? Would you have the skills to keep them alive until the ambulance arrives 30 minutes later?
If the answer is anything other than “absolutely yes,” then first aid training isn’t just a workplace compliance issue – it’s a family safety priority.
The Gender Disparity Problem in Bystander CPR
Here’s something that shocked us during Restart a Heart Month research: women are significantly less likely to receive bystander CPR than men in public places.
Why This Happens:
- 33% of men fear being accused of inappropriate touching when performing CPR on women
- 46% of men feel uncomfortable using a defibrillator on women due to clothing removal requirements
- Hesitation and fear delay life-saving intervention by critical minutes
The Tragic Case of Gabriella Jaiyesimi:
In 2022, 21-year-old Gabriella collapsed from cardiac arrest at Tesco Colney Hatch in London. Despite being surrounded by people, no one performed CPR. A Prevention of Future Deaths report highlighted how fear and hesitation contributed to her death.
This isn’t about blame – it’s about the reality that fear kills. And the only cure for fear is training.
How Restart a Heart Month Training Solves This:
Proper CPR training explicitly addresses these concerns:
- Legal protection when providing emergency first aid under the Social Action, Responsibility and Heroism Act 2015
- Proper technique that focuses on chest compressions, not gender
- Defibrillator training that removes uncertainty about clothing
- Confidence building that overcomes hesitation
When you’ve been trained during Restart a Heart Month, you don’t freeze – you act.
Join Our October 2025 Restart a Heart Roadshow
This October, we’re taking free CPR training to communities across Herefordshire as part of Restart a Heart Month. No booking required, no forms to fill in, no awkward sales pitches.
We’ll teach you the skills, answer the awkward questions, and give you the confidence to act when it matters. Because 80% of cardiac arrests happen at home – which means the person you’re most likely to save is someone you love.
Our Restart a Heart Month CPR Roadshow is Coming To:
📍 Leominster Market – Friday 17th October
📍 Hereford FC – Monday 21st October
📍 Hereford FC – Monday 21st October
More locations being confirmed daily – watch this space for updates!
What You’ll Learn (in just 15 minutes):
- CPR technique – proper chest compressions that actually work
- Defibrillator use – how to find, use, and not be scared of AEDs
- When to act – recognizing cardiac arrest vs. other emergencies
- Legal protection – why you can’t be sued for helping
- Overcoming fear – the confidence to act when seconds count
Who Should Come to Our Restart a Heart Month Events:
- Anyone who wants to learn life-saving skills
- Parents who want to protect their families
- Business owners considering workplace training
- Sports coaches and community leaders
- People who’ve been “meaning to learn for years”
Bring your mates, bring your family, bring your colleagues. It takes about 15 minutes to learn the basics that could save a life.
Why We’re Running Restart a Heart Month Events:
Every October during Restart a Heart Month, we’re reminded that fewer than 1 in 10 people survive out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK. Not because medical science has failed, but because most bystanders don’t know what to do in those critical first minutes.
Immediate CPR can double or triple survival chances. But only if someone knows how to do it and isn’t too scared to try.
That’s why we’re bringing free Restart a Heart Month training directly to you – because the biggest barrier to bystander CPR isn’t lack of concern, it’s fear. Fear of doing it wrong. Fear of making things worse. Fear of looking foolish.
Training removes that fear. And when fear is removed, people act. And when people act immediately, survival rates jump from less than 1 in 10 to more than 1 in 2.
Why Workplace CPR Training Goes Beyond Restart a Heart Month
Our free community sessions during Restart a Heart Month are brilliant for raising awareness and teaching basic CPR. But they’re not the same as comprehensive workplace first aid training – and here’s why that matters:
Legal Obligations:
Under the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981, every employer must provide adequate first aid provision. This includes:
- Trained first aiders or appointed persons
- Appropriate first aid equipment
- Information for employees about first aid arrangements
A 15-minute Restart a Heart Month CPR demo doesn’t fulfill these legal requirements – but proper first aid training does.
Beyond Cardiac Arrest:
Workplace emergencies aren’t limited to cardiac arrest. Your team also needs to know how to handle:
- Choking – the second most common cause of accidental death
- Severe bleeding – from machinery, tools, or accidents
- Burns and scalds – especially in kitchens and manufacturing
- Fractures and head injuries – from slips, trips, and falls
- Anaphylaxis – severe allergic reactions requiring immediate action
Learn more about what your workplace needs in our guide: How Many First Aiders Do I Need?
Multiple Trained First Aiders:
Having just one trained person isn’t enough. What if they’re:
- On holiday when an emergency happens?
- Off sick that day?
- Working a different shift?
- In a different building or location?
Smart businesses ensure multiple team members are trained, creating redundancy and confidence across the organization.
The ROI of Workplace First Aid Training:
Beyond legal compliance and Restart a Heart Month awareness, proper training delivers:
- Confidence – staff know they’re protected and prepared
- Duty of care – demonstrable commitment to employee wellbeing
- Insurance benefits – reduced premiums and simplified claims
- Reputation – customers and partners value safety-conscious businesses
- Retention – good employees stay with employers who invest in them
What Proper Workplace First Aid Training Includes
Restart a Heart Month focuses on CPR and defibrillators – essential skills that save lives. But comprehensive workplace first aid training covers the full range of emergencies your business might face:
Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) – 1 Day Course:
Perfect for lower-risk workplaces:
- ✅ CPR and defibrillator use – the skills highlighted during Restart a Heart Month
- ✅ Choking management – back blows and abdominal thrusts
- ✅ Bleeding control – direct pressure and shock management
- ✅ Minor injuries – burns, scalds, and wound care
- ✅ Qualsafe qualification – 3-year certification recognized nationwide
First Aid at Work (FAW) – 3 Day Course:
Comprehensive training for higher-risk environments:
- ✅ Everything in EFAW, plus:
- ✅ Advanced CPR techniques and multiple casualty scenarios
- ✅ Fracture management – splinting and immobilization
- ✅ Head and spinal injuries – recognition and safe handling
- ✅ Medical emergencies – asthma, diabetes, anaphylaxis, seizures
- ✅ Workplace-specific scenarios – tailored to your industry risks
What Makes Our Training Different:
- Emergency services backgrounds – all our trainers have real-world experience (police, fire, ambulance)
- Hands-on practice – no boring Power Points, just practical confidence-building
- Skills & Satisfaction Guarantee – not confident after training? Come back for free
- Post-incident support – unique debriefing service if your team uses their skills in real situations
- 98% pass rate – quality training that works
- Ofqual regulated – all courses delivered through Qualsafe Awards
From Restart a Heart Month Awareness to Workplace Action
Restart a Heart Month raises awareness brilliantly. Our October roadshow shows that 15 minutes of training can transform someone from terrified to capable. But awareness isn’t enough – your workplace needs trained, confident first aiders who can handle the full range of emergencies.
The Reality Check:
- Restart a Heart Month community CPR demos are fantastic for raising awareness
- But they don’t fulfill your legal obligations as an employer
- They don’t cover the full range of workplace emergencies
- They don’t provide the depth of training needed for real confidence
- They don’t give you the certification and documentation you need
What Your Business Actually Needs:
Comprehensive workplace first aid training that:
- Meets legal requirements under Health and Safety regulations
- Covers all common emergencies not just cardiac arrest
- Provides proper certification recognized by insurers and regulators
- Builds genuine confidence through extended hands-on practice
- Creates multiple trained responders across your team
Our Health & Safety Support Packages can help you ensure full compliance beyond just first aid training.
Don’t Wait for an Emergency to Wish You’d Been Prepared
During Restart a Heart Month, we’re reminded that “meaning to get trained” isn’t enough. Emergencies don’t wait for convenient timing. They happen on random Tuesdays. During busy periods. When your most experienced person is on holiday. When you least expect it.
The Question That Should Keep You Awake:
If someone collapsed in your workplace right now, would your team know what to do? If someone collapsed at home tonight, would you be confident enough to act? Would you have the skills to keep that person alive until the ambulance arrives?
If the answer is anything other than “absolutely yes,” then it’s time to act.
What Restart a Heart Month Teaches Us:
The biggest barrier to bystander CPR isn’t lack of concern – it’s fear. Fear of doing it wrong. Fear of making things worse. Fear of legal consequences. Fear of looking foolish.
Restart a Heart Month training removes that fear. And when fear is removed, people act. And when people act immediately, survival rates jump from less than 1 in 10 to more than 1 in 2.
That’s the difference between a tragedy and a miracle. And it starts with training.
Ready to Move from Restart a Heart Month Awareness to Action?
Restart a Heart Month has done its job – you’re now aware of how critical immediate CPR is for cardiac arrest survival. The question is: what happens next?
Option 1: Join Our Free Restart a Heart Month Roadshow
Come to one of our free community CPR sessions this October:
- Leominster Market – Friday 17th October
- Hereford FC – Monday 21st October
Learn the basics in 15 minutes. No booking required.
Option 2: Book Workplace First Aid Training
Get your team properly trained with our Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW) or First Aid at Work (FAW) courses. Delivered at your workplace, tailored to your industry, taught by trainers with real emergency services experience
