In an emergency, call 999 (or 112). The call handler will tell you exactly what to do, step by step, and stay on the line.
This page is a reminder, not a substitute for first aid training. A short course with St John Ambulance or the British Red Cross is the best thing you can do.
These are short reminders written in our own words. Each one links to the full advice from the organisation it comes from. The NHS website's own first aid pages now send you to St John Ambulance.
Before you do anything
- Make sure it is safe for you to get close. Do not become a second casualty.
- If someone is not responding, shout for help and get someone to call 999 or 112. If you are alone, call on speakerphone so your hands are free.
- If you are unsure what to do, say so. The ambulance call handler will guide you.
Not responding but breathing: the recovery position
Lying someone on their side keeps their airway open and lets any vomit drain away. (St John Ambulance)
- Kneel beside them, straighten their legs and take off glasses or remove bulky things from their pockets.
- Put the arm nearest you out at a right angle, elbow bent, palm up. Bring the other hand across and hold the back of it against their near cheek.
- Bend their far knee up, then pull on that knee to roll them towards you onto their side. Bend the top leg at a right angle so they stay put.
- Tilt the head back gently and lift the chin so they can breathe. Call 999 or 112 if nobody has yet, and keep checking on them until help comes.
Not responding and not breathing normally: CPR
Call 999 or 112 and start CPR straight away. Occasional gasps are not normal breathing. (St John Ambulance)
- Send a helper for a defibrillator (AED) if there is one. If you are on your own, stay with the person; the call handler can say where the nearest one is.
- Heel of one hand in the middle of the chest, other hand on top. Arms straight, shoulders over your hands, and push down hard about 5 to 6 cm, then let the chest come back up.
- Aim for 100 to 120 pushes a minute. If you are trained, give 2 rescue breaths after every 30 pushes; if not, just keep pushing.
- Keep going until help takes over, the person starts breathing normally, a defibrillator tells you to stop, or you are too exhausted. Swap with a helper every minute or two if you can.
Heavy bleeding
- Press firmly on the wound with whatever is to hand, such as a clean cloth or tea towel, to slow the blood. Call 999.
- Keep pressing until help arrives. If the cloth soaks through, swap it for a fresh one and keep up firm pressure.
- If something is stuck in the wound, leave it in and press around it, not on it.
- Pale, cold and dizzy can mean shock: keep pressing, lie them down with their feet raised, and keep them warm with coats or a blanket.
Choking (adult)
- If they can cough, speak or breathe, encourage them to keep coughing.
- If they cannot, lean them forwards and give up to 5 sharp blows between the shoulder blades with the heel of your hand, checking their mouth after each one.
- Still stuck? Stand behind them, make a fist just above the belly button and pull sharply in and up, up to 5 times.
- If it has not cleared, call 999 or 112 and keep repeating back blows and thrusts. If they stop responding, start CPR. Babies and children need different techniques: see St John Ambulance.
Burns and scalds
(NHS)
- Cool the burn under cool running water for 20 minutes, as soon as you can. In a water outage, cool bottled water or a wet towel will do, so this is a good use of some stored water.
- Take off clothing or jewellery near the burn, but leave anything that is stuck to it.
- Once cooled, lay cling film loosely over it rather than wrapping it. Do not put creams, butter or sticky plasters on a burn, and do not burst blisters.
- Call 999 or go to A&E for large or deep burns, burns on the face, genitals or bottom, and burns from chemicals or electricity. Call 111 if you are not sure.
Cuts and grazes
(NHS)
- Wash and dry your hands (gloves if you have them). Press on a bleeding cut with a clean folded cloth, and raise it if it is on an arm or leg.
- When it has stopped bleeding, rinse it with tap or bottled water, pat dry and cover it with a plaster or dressing.
- Get urgent help from 111 or your GP if it is dirty after cleaning, from a bite, looks infected or is longer than about 5 cm. Call 999 if you cannot stop the bleeding.
Very cold: hypothermia
Many cases happen indoors when it is cold and there is no heating, so it matters in a long power cut. (British Red Cross)
- Signs include shivering, pale cold skin, confusion and slow breathing.
- Get them somewhere sheltered, off the cold ground, and cover them and their head with blankets, coats or towels. Swap wet clothes for dry ones.
- Call 999, then keep warming and reassuring them. Warm drinks and high-energy food such as chocolate help; alcohol does not.
Carbon monoxide
Running a camping stove, barbecue, generator or heater indoors or in a closed space can poison you. The gas has no smell. (St John Ambulance)
- Headache, dizziness, confusion, sickness and weakness can all be signs.
- Call 999 or 112 and say you suspect fumes. Help them into fresh air, but do not go into a fume-filled space yourself.
- Stay with them until help arrives. If they stop responding, check their breathing and be ready to start CPR.
Get ready now
- Keep a first aid kit where everyone can find it. Our 72-hour kit guide and grab bag checklist list what to pack.
- Make a medical card for each person, so a responder can see allergies, medicines and who to contact.
- Take a first aid course. Even a few hours of practice makes CPR far less frightening.