Filmed this month to kick off the Euros 2024, our video teaches you how to recognise a cardiac arrest and perform life-saving CPR. The video is only one minute 22 seconds long and, in that time, you will be more prepared in an emergency. 

There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK. Tragically, less than one in ten people survive. With around 80 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happening in the home, you’re often likely to perform CPR on a loved one.

Community Resuscitation Manager Cheryl Pickstock says: “We all remember the devastating events of the Euros 2021 when Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest whilst playing. CPR saved his life.

“The incident, and subsequently the many more cardiac arrests that have followed in the region, provide a timely reminder that the human body is a fragile thing and that we can all help each other by knowing this simple live-saving skill.”

Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops beating, leading to a cessation of blood flow to vital organs, including the brain.

For every minute that someone’s in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%. This is why it’s vitally important that people in the community who witness a cardiac arrest start lifesaving CPR and defibrillation in the crucial minutes before an ambulance crew arrives – it can make the difference between life and death.

Cheryl continues: “Defibrillation within five minutes of a cardiac arrest can result in survival rates as high 70%. Defibrillators are not something to fear, they can be used by members of the public. They provide audible prompting which gives a step-by-step guide to save someone’s life.

“The Euros lasts four weeks and two days – that’s 720 hours! There’ plenty of time within those hours to take a minute and a half out to watch our video. If one life is saved it makes learning the skill worthwhile.”