Across the UK and beyond, a wave of CPR awareness campaigns is sweeping through communities, schools, and workplaces, aiming to equip ordinary people with the skills to save lives in moments of crisis. From the bustling corridors of AIIMS in New Delhi to the classrooms of Scotland and the football pitches of Sussex, the message is clear: knowing how to perform CPR can mean the difference between life and death.
On October 14, 2025, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi marked CPR Awareness Week with an ambitious training initiative. Under the leadership of Dr. M Srinivas, the institute set out to ensure that every member of its workforce—medical and non-medical alike—was proficient in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). According to AIIMS, nearly 10,000 employees, including over 5,000 nurses, as well as technicians, ward attendants, and security personnel, participated in basic life support training. The goal: to make sure that anyone on the premises could respond effectively during an emergency, potentially saving countless lives.
“Early CPR improves survival chances two to three times by enabling immediate intervention before professional help arrives,” the institute emphasized. That’s not just a slogan; it’s a fact borne out by years of research and real-world experience. AIIMS is also considering the installation of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) at strategic locations throughout its vast campus, recognizing that the combination of prompt CPR and timely defibrillation can dramatically increase survival rates in cardiac arrest cases.
But the drive to spread CPR knowledge isn’t limited to hospitals or medical professionals. In Scotland, a deeply personal crusade has captured the attention of politicians and the public alike. Cameron McGerr, a 16-year-old student from Inverclyde, stood before Members of the Scottish Parliament last month to share a story of heartbreaking loss—and hard-won determination. Cameron lost both of his parents to heart conditions: his mother, Lynne, to a fatal heart attack three years ago, and his father, Kevin, to a sudden cardiac arrest in February 2025. The tragedy left Cameron wondering if things might have turned out differently if he’d known how to perform CPR.
“After my dad died I kind of thought maybe I should do something about this,” Cameron told BBC Scotland News. “The first time I kind of thought it was bad luck but the second time I thought 'well I was 15, I really should have been able to know what to do'.”
Motivated by his experience, Cameron successfully lobbied his school, Clydeview Academy, to introduce first aid and CPR training for all students. He now hopes his campaign, dubbed Pulse of Life, will be adopted by schools across Scotland. “It could be your mum, it could be your dad, it could be your sister or it could be a friend, neighbour, stranger,” Cameron explained. “The truth is it can happen to anyone at any time. I think that's what a lot of people don't realise, and I think that's why everyone needs to be fully equipped to be able to step in and do it.”
When his father collapsed, Cameron estimates he lost about two and a half minutes panicking and waiting for the 999 operator to guide him—time that, by his reckoning, reduced his father’s chance of survival by 25%. “I believe that if I had known CPR, I would have been able to save my dad. I would have been more confident while performing CPR, worrying less as his ribs broke under the force of my hands. I would not have had to wait for the 999 operator to instruct me in what to do. In my panic, I lost probably two and a half minutes, which instantly decreased his chance of survival by 25%.”
British Heart Foundation figures paint a sobering picture: around 3,800 people experience a cardiac arrest outside of hospital in Scotland each year, with a survival rate of just one in ten. Health groups and medical charities agree that those odds could improve if more people felt confident about performing CPR and were able to act quickly. Cameron’s campaign has already drawn the attention of Scotland’s Education Secretary, Jenny Gilruth, who has offered to meet him to discuss expanding CPR education in schools. A government spokesperson said Scotland would continue working with partners to ensure pupils have the opportunity to learn these life-saving skills.
Meanwhile, in the south of England, the Air Ambulance for Sussex (KSS) is building what it calls an “army of lifesavers.” On October 13, 2025, KSS launched its largest-ever education and awareness campaign, providing both in-person and online CPR training sessions across Kent, Surrey, and Sussex. The effort kicked off with doctors and paramedics delivering hands-on training to hundreds of passengers at London Gatwick’s South Terminal. Later in the week, KSS planned to livestream CPR and defibrillator awareness sessions to schools, homes, and businesses throughout the region. The campaign will culminate on October 18 with a high-profile CPR awareness event during Brighton and Hove Albion’s home match against Newcastle United, featuring Premier League players and fans alike.
“Over the last two years, we have trained nearly 100,000 people in how to perform CPR and use a defibrillator but we know there is still a lot of work for us to do,” said Ben Paul, KSS Paramedic and Education Manager, as reported by Sussex Express. “These skills save lives; our medical teams frequently see the difference that delivering these interventions early makes. It’s almost impossible to get it wrong or do harm and therefore we are urging everyone to learn these lifesaving skills.”
The campaign is striking in its inclusivity: training sessions are tailored for everyone from four-year-old schoolchildren to adults in their eighties. “Every single person who signs up and joins our sessions help us to build our army of lifesavers across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who signs up to take part; together, we can save even more lives in our communities,” Paul added.
Statistics from KSS echo those from Scotland: every day, around 25 people experience sudden cardiac arrest in Kent, Surrey, and Sussex, but only about 10% survive. Most incidents happen at home or in private settings, underscoring the importance of equipping everyday people—not just healthcare professionals—with the skills to respond in those critical first minutes.
Back at Clydeview Academy, headteacher Craig Gibson commended Cameron McGerr’s “outstanding resilience in the face of such tragedy.” The school aims to teach all current S1 pupils CPR by the end of the academic year, with plans to share its model with other secondary schools in the region. And Cameron, for his part, remains steadfast in his mission. “I'm not doing it for me and I'm not doing it to try and prove the point - I'm doing it because I know it will make a difference,” he said.
As these campaigns unfold, the hope is that CPR will become as commonplace a skill as swimming or riding a bike—something everyone knows, just in case. With thousands trained and more joining every day, the movement to empower ordinary people with the ability to save lives is gathering unstoppable momentum.
