THE Mid-Worcestershire MP is urging secondary schools to teach their students CPR following warnings that people who have not been trained in CPR are nearly 3 times less likely to perform it.

Nigel Huddleston met life saving charities including the British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance and British Red Cross in Westminster to discuss making first aid skills a vital part of the school curriculum.

He also took part in a CPR training session.

Mr Huddleston said: "It is worrying to hear the number of lives being lost because rates of bystander CPR in the UK are too low. Every second counts, and CPR really is the difference between life and death. It would be great if all young people had the skills to save a life.”

BHF estimates that 10,000 people die every year who’s lives could be saved if more people had CPR skills.

Every minute without CPR or defibrillation can reduce a person’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest by around ten per cent.

Simon Gillespie, chief executive of the British Heart Foundation, said: "It’s great to have the support of Nigel Huddleston MP in incorporating this life saving skill into the secondary school curriculum. The chance of surviving is almost zero if people collapse and receive no bystander CPR until the emergency services arrive.

“There is clearly a huge benefit to the public knowing life saving CPR skills, evidenced by the vastly better survival rates from cardiac arrests in countries where CPR is part of the curriculum. Thousands of deaths could be prevented if more people learn CPR.

"I encourage all secondary schools in Mid Worcestershire to apply for the BHF’s free training kits by visiting bhf.org.uk/cpr.”