First aid fears could stop 200 lives being saved each year charity warns

More than 200 people could be dying each year because bystanders are reluctant to step in and help during a first aid emergency, analysis by a charity suggests.

Research for St Andrew’s First Aid revealed that 7% of Scottish adults had found themselves in situations where they could have stepped in to provide first aid, but chose not to.

The first aid charity said around 3,200 people in Scotland experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) every year, with a survival rate of less than one in 10.

Its analysis suggests that the 7% who choose not to step in to help could equate to 224 lives potentially being lost.

The research, which involved more than 1,000 people, found that 61% said the fear of doing something wrong was their main concern, while 58% were worried about potentially making things worse.

The charity has now launched a new national campaign – “Taking the fear out of first aid” – to help people overcome their concerns about coming forward to help.

Stuart Callison, chief executive at St Andrew’s First Aid, said: “This research highlights not only the importance of being first aid-trained, but also how critical it is for it to be put into practice when needed.

“While the research gives us some reassurance by highlighting that nine out of 10 Scots recognise the importance of having some form of first aid training, it’s worrying to see how many people are anxious about providing help in an emergency for fear of doing something wrong.

“The heartbreaking reality is that more lives could have been saved through bystander intervention.

“That’s why we’re launching our campaign today to dispel some of the most common myths around first aid, to overcome these fears and help save more lives.

“As well as providing first aid training to as many Scots as possible, we want to be sure that those who have been trained keep their skills up to date and have the confidence to step up when needed.

“Doing something is always better than doing nothing, and allowing our fears to stand in the way of taking action can be the difference between life and death for a casualty.”

The survey of 1,007 adults found that (91%) of those questioned said they recognise the importance of having some form of first aid training.

However just under one one in four people (38%) who said they would step in to help stated they would only do so after some hesitation.

Around the country, those living in Edinburgh and the Lothians were least likely to help, with just over one in 10 (11%) saying they would not step in during first aid emergency situations.

People in Glasgow were most likely to receive first aid from bystanders, with 16% of those polled saying they would confidently step in.

At a launch event for the campaign on Monday in Buchanan Street, Glasgow, passers-by were challenged by content creator Mark Thorburn to reach their hand into a “mystery box” in a stunt which aimed to highlight that providing first aid is not as alarming as people might think.

While some people refused to put their hand in the box others did so and were relieved to find that the box was empty.

– The YouGov survey, commissioned by St Andrew’s First Aid, was carried out between May 1 and 5.

Published: 20/05/2025 by Radio NewsHub