Updated May, 2026 What is Cold Water Shock? Immersing yourself in cold water is an increasingly popular activity and being touted to provide many health benefits, but sudden immersion in cold water can be very dangerous. ‘Seasoned’ cold water swimmers enjoy repeated visits and as a result their body acclimatises to cold more readily. For others,…
Cold Water Shock and Drowning: what you need to know – and do Read More »
Defibrillators or AEDs are life saving devices that are now commonplace in our communities and workplaces. We use AED trainer devices on all of our courses and often get similar questions from our course participants. We’ve therefore put together this list of 20 of the most common questions to help explain and understand these life
20 FAQs about defibrillators Read More »
Did you know that Medi-K (a subsidiary of First Aid Training Cooperative) are member of the British Equestrian Trade Association (BETA)? Last month (April 2026) I was lucky enough to attend their very first BETA Safety Equipment Conference, held at Loughborough, and spent the day with some top professionals in the equestrian safety field. The
Visiting the BETA Safety Equipment Conference 2026 Read More »
Around 1200 people die every year in the UK as a result of asthma. In this blog we will explain what asthma is, how to recognise the signs and symptoms and how it can be treated in a first aid setting. Asthma can’t be cured, but its symptoms can be controlled. It’s important to note
First Aid for Asthma – Understanding and helping someone with Asthma Read More »
 First aid acronyms explained – the acronym CARE is used when talking about the management of blood loss discovered when carrying out a circulation check as part of the first aid incident procedure.  An acronym is a word or name formed as an abbreviation, created from the initial letters of a phrase or a word. The first aid
First Aid Acronyms Explained – CARE Read More »
The benefits of gardening are not limited to fresh air and exercise but are also great for your mental health too. However, in our enthusiasm to tackle a big gardening job or our determination to get things finished, injuries often occur. Â Here are our top tips for first aid for gardeners for dealing with or
First Aid for Gardeners Read More »
Behavioural Symptoms of Mental Health Distress Mental symptoms are often the first noticeable signs of mental health distress. These symptoms affect how a person thinks, feels, and perceives the world around them. One of the most common signs is a persistent feeling of sadness or low mood. This is often seen in depression but can
Early warning signs of mental health distress Read More »
Updated March, 2026 Everything you need to know about ticks, tick removal, and Lyme Disease. Why should we be concerned about ticks? Ticks are small arachnids that feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans. They may carry a range of pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoans etc) that are then transmitted to the host
Tick removal and understanding Lyme Disease Read More »
People working in forestry industries should attend forestry first aid training that includes additional topics relevant to the higher risks and remoteness of their work. In addition, the Forestry Commission in England, Natural Resources Wales and Forestry and Land Scotland require contractors working on their land to have additional and specific elements in their first
What Makes Forestry First Aid Different to Conventional First Aid at Work? Read More »
Since the introduction of the UK Resuscitation Council Primary Care Standards (2020) it is mandatory for annual updates of CPR/AED skills to be undertaken by clinical staff. Â It is also recommended for non-clinical staff too. Resuscitation Council Guidelines, 2025: Guidelines are reviewed every 5 years and the latest review was published in October 2025 and
Annual CPR / AED updates for Primary Care practices. Read More »