SCHOOL SAFETY: Llanelli councillor calls on Welsh Government to put life-saving bleed kits in every school in Wales

A campaign to place life-saving bleed control kits in every school in Wales has reached the desk of the new Welsh Government Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language.

Labour councillor Shaun Greaney, who represents the Lliedi ward on Llanelli Town Council, has written to Anna Brychan MS asking her to commit to placing critical bleed control kits in every primary and secondary school in the country.

Each kit costs around £95 and contains military-grade equipment designed to help control major blood loss before emergency services arrive. The contents include a tourniquet, chest seal, haemostatic gauze, blunt-edged shears, gloves, a foil blanket, a resuscitation shield and a trauma fix bandage, along with a body map instruction card.

Cllr Greaney has argued that the kits should be treated as a basic safety tool in the same category as defibrillators, which are now widely deployed in schools and community settings across Wales.

“After all, as a society we shouldn’t be asking what price a child’s life,” he said. “I think the kits will be seen as a crucial safety tool in the same way that defibrillators are. Nothing is more precious than a child’s life. I sincerely hope the initiative is taken up before there is a preventable tragedy.”

Campaign with a track record

Cllr Greaney is no stranger to public access emergency equipment. In October last year, he used CPR skills learned on a town council course to revive an unconscious man in Stepney Street, reinforcing his long-running campaign to expand the availability of defibrillators and bleed kits across the town. In December, a new defibrillator was installed at a children’s play area in Bigyn as part of a wider Llanelli Town Council drive he has helped lead.

In February, campaigners called for bleed control kits to be installed in every Carmarthenshire school and outside public buildings across the county, warning that Carmarthenshire was falling behind its neighbours.

Those neighbours include Swansea, where more than 430 critical bleed control kits have now been installed — the highest number anywhere in Wales — in a rollout backed by Swansea Council and the charity Heartbeat Trust UK.

The local network behind the campaign

A network of councillors, businesses and charities has been steadily building bleed kit provision across the area. Former Llanelli paramedic and Labour county councillor Rob Evans, a GoodSam emergency responder, has been instrumental in securing ten kits for primary schools in the town, with funding from local businessman Paul Brookfield.

All registered kits appear on the national Bleed Map, a UK-wide database designed to allow members of the public to locate the nearest emergency bleed control kit as quickly as possible. The scheme in south Wales is led by the charity Heartbeat Trust UK, under its trustee Melanie James, a former High Sheriff of West Glamorgan. Welsh icon Max Boyce backed the rollout last year at the launch of a kit at Glynneath RFC.

Cllr Greaney has previously pushed for kits to be installed alongside defibrillators in existing community centre and park cabinets across Llanelli — a move backed by the town council during its previous Labour administration.

The Links donation

A kit has now been donated to Llanelli mental health charity Links, where it sits inside the defibrillator cabinet on Queen Victoria Road. Links general manager Michele Rees said the equipment was vital.

“Having this equipment readily available is vital, as rapid treatment of severe bleeding can help save lives before emergency services arrive,” she said.

The defibrillator at the Links cabinet was installed a couple of years ago following a fundraising drive by Cllr Greaney and the charity. Mrs Rees said it had been accessed three times since installation.

A test for the new Welsh Government

Cllr Greaney’s letter to Anna Brychan represents one of the earliest specific policy asks placed before the new Plaid Cymru-led Welsh Government on a school safety issue. First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth has pledged that his administration will prioritise primary care and frontline services.

The Llanelli initiative also has the backing of Llanelli MP Dame Nia Griffith.

Members of the public can find their nearest registered bleed control kit using the UK Bleed Map at thebleedmap.com — a free online tool designed to help bystanders respond rapidly in the event of a serious bleeding emergency.

Related stories from Swansea Bay News

Campaigners call for bleed control kits in every Carmarthenshire school
Llanelli campaigners warned the county was falling behind its neighbours on bleed kit provision.

Swansea leads Wales with rollout of life-saving bleed control kits
More than 430 kits have now been installed across Swansea — the highest number of any area in Wales.

Councillor saves man with CPR in Llanelli town centre
Cllr Greaney used CPR skills learned on a town council course to revive an unconscious man in Stepney Street.

New defibrillator installed at Llanelli play area as council tackles ‘defib desert’
Part of Llanelli Town Council’s wider community safety drive.

New defibrillator installed at Llanelli play area as council tackles ‘defib desert’

The device, now active at Nightingale Court play area, has been registered on The Circuit, a national database that helps ambulance crews locate the nearest defibrillator in the event of a cardiac emergency.

Town councillor Shaun Greaney, who represents Lliedi ward, said the area had previously been a “defibrillator desert” — with no publicly accessible devices nearby.

“Every minute without treatment reduces the chance of survival by around 10 per cent,” he said. “We’ve seen tragic cases where cardiac arrests or critical bleeds could potentially have been survivable if help had been available immediately.”

The council says the new device is part of a broader push to improve emergency readiness across Llanelli.

“This Labour-led town council is spearheading a lifesaving safety drive,” Cllr Greaney added. “Early defibrillation, combined with CPR, can increase survival rates to 50–70 per cent if delivered within five minutes.”

National figures show survival rates for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests remain below 10 per cent — but experts say bystander CPR and rapid access to an AED (automated external defibrillator) can dramatically improve outcomes.

Council leader Cllr David Darkin said the council will begin offering free public training in the coming months, covering both defibrillator use and Critical Bleed Control Kits — specialist equipment designed to stop catastrophic bleeding.

“These kits are army-grade and invaluable in emergencies,” he said. “We’ll be rolling out training in community centres across Llanelli next year.”

Cllr Darkin praised Cllr Greaney for introducing the bleed control initiative to the council, and said it complements the town’s wider Sports, Youth and Activities programme, aimed at improving health and wellbeing outcomes for residents of all ages.

Cllr Gareth Lloyd, who represents Bigyn ward, said the new defibrillator was already being welcomed by local families.

“It’s a vital addition to the play area,” he said. “We’re proud to be making lifesaving equipment more accessible to the community.”

#aed #automatedExternalDefibrillator #bigyn #cllrGarethLloyd #cllrShaunGreaney #cpr #criticalBleedControl #criticalBleedControlKit #davidDarkin #defibrillatorDesert #defibrillators #llanelli #llanelliTownCouncil #lleidi #nightingaleCourt

The donation, equating to £6,000, will equip the city with essential life-saving kits aimed at providing immediate assistance to victims of catastrophic bleeding caused by accidents such as road traffic collisions, workplace incidents, impalements, dog bites, and knife crime.

The Critical Bleed Control Kits will be housed within the existing cabinets used for Swansea’s defibrillator network, ensuring they are accessible in key locations. These kits are designed to offer immediate assistance before emergency services arrive, potentially making the difference between life and death in severe cases of blood loss.

Luke Davies, Head of FM Services at FSG, commented:

“We’re pleased to be able to support this vital initiative, and we believe that the bleed control kits that we are donating will be a critical resource available for use in emergency situations.

“Accidents and incidents can happen anywhere, at any time, and with these kits in place in various locations across the city, we’re ensuring that the people of Swansea have the best chance of survival in a life-threatening situations.

“We’re proud to be making this investment into the safety of our local community.”

The High Sheriff of West Glamorgan, Melanie James, who spearheaded the launch and rollout of this life-saving service, praised the FSG sponsorship: 

“As High Sheriff of West Glamorgan I wanted to make a significant difference within our Community and rolling out CBC kits will save lives if someone is suffering from a catastrophic bleed. 

“They will fill the care gap until the Emergency Services arrive. We hope that no one ever needs them but if they do, they are there. I am incredibly grateful to FSG for their generous donation and commitment to making our City a safer place.

“My initiative is also being rolled out in partnership with Heartbeat Trust UK which is the principal defibrillator provider in Swansea. The synergy can take advantage of the monitoring and registration systems already in place, with the boxes being rebranded as multi-trauma boxes”

The Quadrant Shopping Centre, a prominent location within Swansea city centre, is one of the key sites where these bleed kits will be made available.

Adam Gibbons, Operations Manager at Centurion (owners of the Quadrant), commented: 

“As a central hub for the city, it’s crucial that we have access to emergency resources like these bleed control kits. We welcome this initiative and thank our maintenance supplier, FSG, for making it possible.

“Ensuring the safety of our visitors and the wider community is always a priority, and having these kits on hand will make a real difference in the event of a critical emergency.”

The bleed kits will be deployed across Swansea in the coming weeks, and their availability is expected to provide invaluable assistance during emergency situations.

https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/10/12/fsg-funds-63-critical-bleed-control-kits-to-help-save-lives-across-swansea-city-centre-copy/

#CriticalBleedControl #FSG

A grant of £10,000 has been made to fund 100 of the kits that can make the difference between life or death for people who suffer catastrophic bleeding due to accidents such as road traffic collisions, workplace incidents, impalements, dog bites, knife crime and more.

They can provide immediate assistance before emergency services arrive and the aim is to place them within the cabinets that already house Swansea’s network of defibrillators.

This initiative is being led by the High Sheriff of West Glamorgan, Melanie James, and as well as the council, other organisations supporting the initiative include the charity Heartbeat Trust UK.

Swansea Council and the charity have worked together in recent years to make Swansea the UK’s first Defib-friendly City, significantly boosting the network of life-saving devices across the city and county.

Council Leader Rob Stewart said: “The synergy of the High Sheriff’s initiative of Critical Bleed Control Kits with Heartbeat’s extensive defibrillator provision within Swansea is commendable and effectively makes these units vital trauma centres.

“The council contributed significantly towards creating this network and I’m very proud we are now supporting this initiative with £10,000 to secure 100 of these kits which will save lives.”

A launch event was hosted recently by the Lord Mayor of Swansea, Paxton Hood-Williams, at the city’s Mansion House.

Melanie James said: “I would like to thank everyone who attended our recent event and shares in our vision to install ‘Critical Bleed Control’ (CBC) kits across West Glamorgan.

“I was keen to take advantage of the opportunities that arise in my High Sheriff year to make a fundamental difference to our community by providing a comprehensive public provision of these vital and life-saving CBC kits.”

Henry Gilbert, Chair of Heartbeat Trust UK, said: “Placing CBC kits in the network of defibrillator cabinets is such a simple exercise, but these kits, along with a training programme we are rolling out, will save lives across West Glamorgan”.

The CBC kits include essential military-grade equipment.

The drive is also being supported by the Wales Ambulance Services Trust, South Wales Police, Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service and safety partnerships, many of whom were represented at the launch.

It included an informative presentation on how to use the CBC kits by St Johns Ambulance Cymru and short films detailing how the kits had been used to save lives.

(Lead image: Swansea Council)

https://swanseabaynews.com/2024/09/25/funds-backing-drive-for-life-saving-kits/

#CllrPaxtonHoodWilliams #CriticalBleedControl #defibrillators #HeartbeatTrustUK #HighSheriffOfWestGlamorgan #LordMayorOfSwansea #Swansea #SwanseaCouncil