CALLS for first aid to become a compulsory part of the school curriculum have been made, after new figures show only five per cent of adults in the South East have the skills and confidence to carry out emergency first aid.

St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross and the British Heart Foundation are urging people to join them in their push to get first aid taught in schools.

Regional schools development head Beth Elger said: “Children attend school for more than 1,000 hours a year; we’re asking for just one hour of that curriculum for them to learn first aid skills that will last a lifetime and might one day enable them to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved.”

The British Red Cross asked more than 2,000 UK adults about their knowledge, confidence and willingness to intervene in three scenarios; helping someone who’s heavily bleeding, is unresponsive and breathing or is unresponsive and not breathing.

Ninety-five per cent of people said they would not be knowledgeable, confident, or willing to act in the three example emergency situations.

•For more information or to take part in the call for evidence, visit www.sja.org.uk/PSHE