Lifesaving Campaign Launched To Prevent 22,000 Heart Attack Deaths At Home Each Year

Startling statistic alert: 22,000 people die each year, in their home, following a heart attack.

Statistics from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) show that these cardiac arrests - which amount to 80% of the UK's 30,000 deaths that occur outside of hospitals each year - are often in front of families and loved ones.

Less than one in 10 people survive.

The reason for such a large number of deaths? According to the BHF, 61% of people do not have the skills or confidence to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) which could double a person's chance of survival.

Their aim? To launch a National Lifesavers campaign which will teach mandatory CPR skills and awareness in secondary schools - and hopefully save 5,000 lives a year in the process.

The British Heart Foundation commissioned a survey involving 2,072 adults, which found that 46% of people would be deterred by the 'fear of causing more harm than good'.

Meanwhile, 40% of people lack the knowledge and skills to act and 57% said they would look for someone else to take the lead if they were to witness a medical emergency.

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The BHF's training programme for schools, workplaces and community groups teach three simple steps that could save a life - Call. Push. Rescue.

To mark the campaign launch, the BHF and Yorkshire Ambulance Service are today training nearly 12,000 children in a bid to inspire all secondary schools to register for a free CPR training kit.

BHF chief executive Simon Gillespie said: "Today's figures are a stark reminder that you're most likely to witness a loved one suffer a cardiac arrest so it's imperative that people learn CPR should they be faced with the worst in their own home.

"Too many lives are lost needlessly because people don't have the basic CPR skills to act in life-threatening situations," he added.

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Heart Attack Signs You Might Be Ignoring...

Heart Attack Symptoms You're Likely To Ignore(01 of07)

(credit:Alamy)

Burning Pain In Abdomen(02 of07)

"A dull ache or burning sensation in the epigastrum (upper part of the abdomen). Not all pain typically occurs in the centre of the chest," explains Dr Sanjay Sharma. "The blockage in the heart could cause symptoms similar to indigestion (like fullness, bloating and problems swallowing). If these symptoms longer than two days, seek medical advice." (credit:Alamy)

Aching Neck And Jaw (03 of07)

"Severe pain or pressure sensation around the jaw and neck only could be a sign," says Dr Sanjay Sharma. "If it starts off as a mild discomfort but gradually worsens, seek medical advice immediately." (credit:Alamy)

Upper Back Pain(04 of07)

"Pain in the centre of the upper back is often mistaken for muscular pain, but could be a 'silent heart attack' symptom," says Dr. Sanjay Sharma."If in doubt, speak to a medical professional as soon as possible." (credit:Alamy)

Breathlessness(05 of07)

"Being suddenly short of breath, without any chest pain could be a sign of a herat attack - although it's more likely to occur in elderly people or diabetics. The chest pain could be due to the lack of oxygen to the heart muscle," says Dr Sanjay Sharma. "The breathlessness is often due to the fact that the heart is no longer pumping properly causing the lungs to fill up with fluid." (credit:Alamy)

Dizziness And Sweating(06 of07)

Dizziness and sweating is a common sign," says Dr Sanjay Sharma. "The sweating is a normal reaction to severe pain and the loss of consciousness may be due to a drop in blood pressure the heart going into a very slow, or very fast electrical rhythm, due to the effects of lack of oxygen." (credit:Alamy)

'Pulled Muscle'(07 of07)

"If chest pain spreads to your left or right arm, that could be another sign you're having a heart attack. We've heard from heart attack survivors who thought they'd pulled a muscle and waited until the following day before getting themselves to hospital," adds Ellen Mason, senior cardiac nurse from the British Heart Foundation. (credit:Alamy)

Gillespie continued: "Today we're running the world's biggest CPR training session across Yorkshire that we hope will spark a movement that everyone in the country wants to be part of.

"The 'Call. Push. Rescue' message is simple to remember and by spreading this far and wide we're determined to radically improve the country's shocking survival rates. We need every school, workplace, community group and individual to join the Nation of Lifesavers and help make the UK a safer place to live."

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