Hundreds of Glasgow taxi drivers could be taught CPR in a plan to replicate London cab drivers and their life-saving skills. The London Ambulance Service is training hackney drivers in the UK capital how to perform CPR on passengers in the event they suffer a cardiac arrest. Paramedics have taught drivers the life-saving skills and fitted their cabs with defibrillators as part of a six-month pilot programme.
Glasgow Taxi Drivers Could Replicate London
“We applaud our colleagues in London for taking on this initiative and wish them well with it.”
Stephen Flynn, chairman of Glasgow Taxis Ltd, hopes the scheme can be replicated in Glasgow. Glasgow Taxis Ltd is the second largest taxi firm in the UK with a fleet of around 800 black cabs. Mr Flynn says that he believes the programme would be positively received by Glasgow taxi drivers. In Scotland, figures show that only one in twenty people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive, compared to one in ten in England, and is currently shown as having the highest number of cardiac arrests in the UK.
Stephen Flynn, commented: “We applaud our colleagues in London for taking on this initiative and wish them well with it. We would have to closely examine all the licensing and legal considerations but I’m sure it’s something a lot of our drivers would be willing to get involved in should the pilot programme in London prove a success.”
The Director of Policy for The British Heart Foundation Scotland, David McColgan, said: “We would welcome everyone taking the opportunity to be trained in CPR as we know from international evidence that the more people that are trained, the more chance there is of survival.”
Charity Life-Saving Campaign Backed by Scottish Councils
The UK government also revealed its plans to make CPR training part of the school curriculum with The Evening Times newspaper leading a campaign encouraging all 32 local authorities in Scotland to support The British Heart Foundation. The charity received its first backing of the life-saving campaign from Glasgow City Council, followed by Aberdeen City. Other councils collaborating include Angus, East Dunbartonshire, East Renfrewshire, Falkirk, Inverclyde, Perth & Kinross, Renfrew and South Lanarkshire.
Let’s hope the taxi trade follows suit with the potentially life-saving CPR training! Contact us with your comments on our Facebook page or Twitter feed.