Basic first aid everyone should know

First steps in any emergency

In any emergency, stay as calm as you can and quickly check that it is safe to approach, so you do not put yourself in danger. Look at the person and try to get a response by speaking loudly and gently shaking their shoulders. If they respond, reassure them and get help as needed. If they do not respond, shout for help and phone 999 straight away, or ask someone else to, putting the call on speaker so you can follow the operator's instructions. Check whether they are breathing normally by looking for the chest rising and falling. What you do next depends on what you find: an unresponsive person who is breathing needs the recovery position, while one who is not breathing normally needs CPR.

The recovery position

If someone is unresponsive but breathing normally, placing them in the recovery position helps keep their airway open and stops them choking on their tongue or any vomit. In simple terms, with the person on their back, place the arm nearest you out at a right angle, bring their far arm across their chest so the back of their hand is against their nearer cheek, bend their far knee up, and use it to gently roll them onto their side towards you. Tilt the head back slightly to keep the airway open, and make sure they cannot roll further. Stay with them, keep checking they are still breathing, and wait for the ambulance. If they stop breathing normally at any point, start CPR.

CPR basics

If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, they need CPR, and you should phone 999 first and ask for an ambulance. The essentials are simple: push hard and fast on the centre of the chest. Kneel beside them, place the heel of one hand on the middle of the chest, put your other hand on top and interlock your fingers, keep your arms straight, and press down firmly and quickly, letting the chest come back up fully each time. Keep going without stopping until help arrives or the person starts to recover. If a defibrillator is nearby, ask someone to fetch it and follow its spoken instructions; it will not shock unless needed. The 999 operator can talk you through every step, so keep them on the line.

Helping someone who is choking

If someone is choking but can still cough, breathe or speak, encourage them to keep coughing to clear the blockage themselves. If they cannot cough, speak or breathe, act quickly. Lean them forwards and give up to five firm back blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, checking after each one to see if the blockage has cleared. If back blows do not work, give up to five abdominal thrusts: stand behind them, put your arms around their waist, place a fist just above the belly button, grasp it with your other hand, and pull sharply inwards and upwards. Alternate five back blows and five abdominal thrusts. If the blockage does not clear or they become unresponsive, phone 999 and start CPR.

Controlling serious bleeding

Heavy bleeding can be life-threatening but is often controllable with firm pressure. If someone is bleeding badly, phone 999 or get someone to, then press firmly and directly on the wound with a clean pad, cloth or even your hand, using something to protect yourself from blood where possible. Keep pressing firmly and continuously, as it is the sustained pressure that slows the bleeding; if blood soaks through, add more material on top rather than removing the first pad, and keep pressing. Raising the injured part, if you can, may also help. Lay the person down if they feel faint, keep them warm and reassured, and do not remove any large object stuck in a wound, but press around it instead. Stay with them until the ambulance arrives.