It is incredibly difficult to judge whether the medical emergency in front of us, is sufficiently life threatening to warrant an ambulance, or if we would be better to drive them to A&E or to go to the GP. Attending a First Aid course will give you far more knowledge and confidence if faced with a medical emergency.

The following information aims to help you with this extremely important decision:

If you are dealing with an emergency with an elderly person, baby or young child and you are seriously concerned – always call an ambulance.

The decision will vary from case to case, the advice to administer First Aid and call an ambulance if someone;

• Appears not to be breathing
• Is having chest pain, difficulty breathing or experiencing weakness, numbness or difficulty speaking
• Experiencing severe bleeding that you are unable to stop with direct pressure on the wound
• Is struggling for breath, possibly breathing in a strange way appearing to ‘suck in’ below their rib cage as they use other muscles to help them to breathe.
• Is unconscious or unaware of what is going on around them
• Has a fit for the first time, even if they seem to recover from it later
• If they are having a severe allergic reaction accompanied by difficulty in breathing or collapse – get an ambulance to you, rather than risk things getting worse whilst you are in the car.
• If a child or elderly person is burnt and the burn is severe enough that you think it will need dressing – treat the burn under cool running water and call an ambulance. Keep cooling the burn until the paramedics arrive and look out for signs of shock.
• If someone has fallen from a height, been hit by something travelling at speed (like a car) or has been hit with force whilst doing combat or contact sport and there is a possibility of a spinal injury.

If they are conscious they should be kept still, warm and dry whilst waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

If they are unconscious and breathing; they should be carefully log rolled into the recovery position to keep their airway open. Keep checking that they are breathing.

If they are unconscious and not breathing; start CPR.

Take someone straight to A&E if they have:

• A fever and are floppy and lethargic even after an appropriate dose of paracetamol or ibuprofen
• Severe abdominal pain
• A cut that is gaping or losing a lot of blood or if they have amputated a finger or if there is something embedded in the wound.
• A leg or arm injury and can’t use the limb
• Swallowed poison or tablets and are not showing any adverse effects (111 can also give you advise from the poisons database – if they are behaving strangely or experiencing any symptoms from the poison; call an ambulance)

Go to your Family Doctor:

For other less serious and non life-threatening medical concerns, contact your GP or phone 111 for medical advice.

Specific advice for babies 

If you are looking after a baby who has a serious illness or accident it is important to get medical attention as soon as possible. The following symptoms should always be treated as serious and an ambulance called:

• A high-pitched, weak or continuous cry.
• A lack of responsiveness, lethargy or floppiness.
• A bulging fontanel (the soft spot on a baby’s head).
• Not drinking for more than eight hours (taking solid food is not as important).
• A temperature of over 38°C if the baby is less than three months old or over 39°C if the baby is three to six months old or a raised temperature that you are unable to bring down.
• A high temperature, but cold feet and hands.
• Fits, convulsions or seizures.
• Turning blue, very pale, mottled or ashen.
• Difficulty breathing, fast breathing, grunting while breathing, or if your child is working hard to breathe, for example, sucking their stomach in under their ribs.
• Your baby or child is unusually drowsy, hard to wake up or doesn’t seem to know you.
• A spotty, purple-red rash anywhere on the body. (This could be a sign of meningitis.)
• Repeated vomiting or bile-stained (green) vomiting.

Most importantly – trust your instincts. If you are seriously worried, administer First Aid and get medical help quickly.

It is strongly advised that you attend a Practical First Aid course to understand what to do in a medical emergency.
Please visit www.firstaidforlife.org.uk or telephone 0208 675 4036 for more information.

First Aid for life provides this information for guidance and it is not in any way a substitute for medical advice. Small Steps and First Aid for Life is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made, or actions taken based on this information.