Provide basic life support

This standard covers preparing for and providing basic life support.

Note that this standard does not include the use of automated external defibrillators.

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1. assess and promptly confirm that the individual's circulation and breathing has stopped and establish the need for basic life support

2. ensure your actions comply at all times with:

   • established protocols and guidelines
   • evidence based best practice
   • your own scope of practice
   • health and safety and standard precautions for infection prevention and control
   • legislation
     

3. seek additional specialist support at the earliest opportunity

4. check and confirm that the individual is not breathing unaided and that resuscitation is not contraindicated
5. use relevant, safe techniques for clearing and opening the individual's airway where appropriate

6. position the individual and yourself appropriately to apply external chest compression and/or ventilation safely and effectively taking account of:

   • the individual's condition
   • the need for a sufficiently firm base to facilitate external chest compression
   • the potential need to maintain compressions and ventilation for a prolonged period
     

7. use the appropriate ratio when alternating compressions with ventilation and comply with the correct rates and depths of each, ensuring compression is applied on the correct site of the individual's chest

8. monitor and evaluate the individual's respiratory function and the effectiveness of compressions and ventilation, responding promptly and appropriately to achieve the best possible outcome for the individual
9. cease the application of any techniques when the individual regains airway and circulation control and place the individual in an appropriate position to enable continued care according to condition

10. continue ventilation and compressions until:

    • the individual shows clear signs of unaided circulation and adequate spontaneous breathing is established
    • the individual is handed over to the care of others
      

11. accurately and clearly report the actions you have taken, and the duration, when handing over to a specialist

12. reinstate equipment and materials to working status after use
13. complete and store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements

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1. the current legislation, guidelines, policies, procedures and protocols which are relevant to your work practice and to which you must adhere
2. the scope and limitations of your own competence, responsibilities and accountability as it applies to your job role
3. how to access and interpret all relevant work instructions and information
4. specific procedures for reporting issues which are beyond your competence, responsibilities and accountability
5. the duty to report any acts or omissions that could be unsafe/detrimental to you or others
6. the hazards and risks which may arise during the execution of your work role and how you can minimise these
7. how to adapt communication styles in ways which are appropriate to the needs of the individual  
8. the correct use of any equipment and PPE to protect the health and safety of you and others
9. evidence-based practice and its role in improving care
10. the principles, practice and procedures associated with informed consent
11. the needs of individuals including issues relating to dignity, confidentiality, and privacy
12. organisational management structures, roles, and responsibilities
13. the procedures and methods relating to the coordination of inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary teams within and across services
14. the anatomy of the respiratory system
15. the priorities in life support
16. the time frame within which assessment of individual needs should be carried out and the life support response initiated in order to maximise an individual's chance of survival
17. the information which may need to be recorded following the application of basic life support
18. the clinical signs of airway obstruction
19. what to do in the event of foreign body obstruction of an individual's airway
20. the differences in techniques needed for ensuring an open airway on different types of individual
21. the factors to be considered in determining the technique that will lead to the best possible outcome for the individual
22. why the head tilt techniques should not be used where neck or spinal injury is suspected
23. the different techniques used to ventilate an individual and when each should be used
24. the ventilation ratio and rate for different types of individual and conditions
25. the importance to outcome of the positioning of the individual and the person applying basic life support, including the specific positioning needs of pregnant women in the third trimester
26. the observations to be carried out to identify adequate oxygenation in different types of individual
27. the rate and depth of compressions needed for different types of individual

28. the compression :** ventilation ratio in:

    • different types of individual
    • one and two person Basic Life Support
      

29. the procedure to establish the correct hand/finger placement for applying external chest compression

30. why a firm base is needed for chest compressions, and what action to take when one is not available
31. the different methods of chest thrusts and back slaps to use in the cases of children/young people and adults
32. the differences between certification and diagnosis of death in accordance with best practice, and who is authorised to carry out these activities
33. personal safety as well as general health and safety, cleanliness and the range of situations and responses
34. how to complete and safely store all relevant documentation in accordance with organisational requirements

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2

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2026

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Current

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Original

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Skills for Health

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SFHCHS36

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Health and Social Care, Health and Social Services Officers, Health Associate Professionals, Health Professionals, Health, Public Services and Care, Healthcare and Related Personal Services

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2259

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Basic, life, support

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