“We all have to play our part to help offset the enormous pressure that our nurses, doctors and other specialists will otherwise face.”
NHS chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens
“We are in a war against an invisible killer and we have got to do everything we can to stop it.”
Matt Hancock, Health Secretary
“We can all help the NHS by staying safe and looking after each other. Learning a bit of First Aid prevents everyday accidents and means we can treat minor injuries ourselves so we don’t need to add to the burden in Hospitals and at GP practices.
Richard Crowther, First Aid Cornwall
Now the dust of coronavirus reaction is beginning to settle, we wanted to offer a response. The internet is awash with advice and that kind of compassion in action is connecting us as a global community like never before. But, as practical people, our frustration is being unable to get stuck in and help the people most at risk and those who are caring for them.
Each week as we clap our (frequently washed) hands for carers, we feel humbled by their service but powerless to do much to help. Our leaders are describing this virus as an enemy in a global war. If that metaphor works for you, then NHS staff are our soldiers and, for the first time in history, they’re coming home each night for tea. What can we do that will make the struggle a little lighter? Follow two simple rules:
Rule One: Be careful
The weather’s been great, and you’re stuck at home. What are you going to do? Trim that 12-foot hedge? Get out on your bike? Paint the bathroom ceiling? Rustle up a new bit of garden furniture out of the odds and sods in the shed? Learn how to make jam? Awesome. Great for the soul.
But wait, who’s holding the ladder? Have you got a helmet? Safety goggles? Heatproof gloves? Probably not. For some reason, we don’t bother with the health and safety when we’re at home, only when someone’s looking. Well, imagine your boss/mum/Monica from Friends is watching and for goodness sake, be careful! Now is not the time to go to A&E.
Rule Two: Learn to treat minor injuries yourself
If in the unfortunate event, something does go wrong – and let’s face it, with weeks of idle time ahead and plenty of potential for mischief, something will, take a deep breath and consider whether you can deal with it at home. Obviously, we’re not advising you to tie your broken arm to a stick, but you can treat most domestic injuries at home, and right now, you should.
If we stay away from hospitals, surgeries and even 111 lines, we’d save more lives. It’s that simple. Our place in the queue would be better taken up by someone fighting for their life. Also, you don’t want to be in that queue. If you’re carrying the virus, you could infect someone more vulnerable. If you aren’t yet, you might be by the time you leave.
If First Aid is something you haven’t given much thought since Scouts or when you were briefly the First Aider at work ten years ago, don’t worry. Here are some basics:
Prevent & Treat: Three Simple First Aid Techniques to Protect the NHS
Burns
Most burns and scalds are caused by hot drinks and affect children under five.
Keep young children away from fires, cookers, irons, hair straighteners and matches and supervise older children. Make sure bath water is not too hot for babies using your elbow.
Adults get burned too. Keep your hands, arms, legs and feet covered when ironing, cooking and using other heated tools and materials such as glue guns.
Treating Burns
-
Cool the burn with cool running water for up to 20 minutes – do not use ice or oily creams
-
Remove any clothing or jewellery near the burnt area of skin, but not anything stuck to the skin
-
Cover the burn with a layer of cling film or a clean plastic bag
-
Use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat any pain
-
If the burn is chemical or electrical; large or deep; has charred or whitened the skin or is in a sensitive place or on a vulnerable person call 111.
Cuts & Grazes
Cuts will involve some bleeding, which in turn can cause shock.
Keep knives sharp tools away from young children, supervise older ones and add barriers to sharp edges in your home and garden.
Prepare for any task using knives, saws or other blades. Is the surface you are using stable? Could the knife or tool fall? Should you be wearing gloves, goggles or other protection?
Treating Cuts
-
Stop any bleeding before applying a dressing to the wound. Apply pressure to the area using a clean and dry absorbent material for several minutes.
-
If the cut is to your hand or arm, raise it above your head to help reduce the flow of blood.
If the injury is to a lower limb, lie down and raise the affected area above the level of your heart. -
When the wound has stopped bleeding, clean it and cover it with a dressing to help stop it becoming infected.
-
Keep the dressing clean by changing it as often as necessary.
-
If the wound is painful for the first few days, take paracetamol or ibuprofen.
-
Call 111 if the cut is deep, long, jagged or won’t stop bleeding; if the cut has something in it that can’t be removed (including chemicals); if the injured person has other symptoms such as a fever or sickness
Sprains
A sprain is when a ligament, which connects parts of a joint, is stretched, twisted or torn. Knees, ankles and wrists are the most common parts of the body affected.
Treating Sprains
Follow the 4 steps known as RICE therapy to help bring down swelling and support the injury:
-
Rest – stop any exercise or activities and try not to put any weight on the injury.
-
Ice – apply an ice pack (or a bag of frozen vegetables wrapped in a tea towel) to the injury for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours.
-
Compression – wrap a bandage around the injury to support it.
-
Elevate – keep it raised on a pillow as much as possible.
It can take 8 weeks to recover from a sprain When you can move the injured area without pain stopping you, try to keep moving it so the joint or muscle does not become stiff.
Get trained in First AId
If you’d like to learn more, First Aid to keep yourself and your family safe, get in touch. We run courses all over Cornwall and will be back in action as soon as the lockdown is over.
Stay safe and look after each other.
Team FAC x
