UKC

Not sure why, but I have a sudden wish to do a first aid course. Can anyone recommend a good one in the south east? Is there such a thing as a climbing specific first aid course?

Thanks

In reply to Zygoticgema:

this?

http://www.basp.org.uk/course-avail.asp?dte=&course=3&id=470

In reply to Zygoticgema:


I've done several over the years. The quality of the provider is the big variable.

The BASP syllabus is very good. I don't know if there's a provider in England.

The REC syllabus is good. Various providers.

Why not treat yourself to a weekend away and go on one of the courses run by the mountain rescue teams; Woodhead and Bowland Pennine advertise on here from time to time and I think the're had good reports.

In reply to DNS:

Acording to the BASP website, they run courses in 5 English locations: Birmingham, Marlow, Keswick, Manchester and Radlett (shown on the link).


In reply to Zygoticgema:

I did the BASP course and enjoyed it, but I have no doubt other providers give equally good courses too. The instructor on my course said "some of what you'll learn today could make the difference between someone spending a few days in hospital rather than spending a month in hospital".
If you have a desire to learn some first aid, I reckon you'd really enjoy a course.

The suggestion made by DNS is good though, a weekend away, First Aid course during the day, climbing in the evening?

In reply to noggy & DNS: Thanks for those suggestions. Most of the BASP courses are run too far away from me, although I do like the sound of a weekend away. I will have to do lots of research me thinks!

In reply to Zygoticgema:

My local climbing wall arranges these with an outside provider from time to time (Mountaineering first aid). Great courses. Worth asking at your local wall?

In reply to Zygoticgema: Marlow can't be that far from you?

In reply to Ade7: <whispers> where is marlow?

In reply to Zygoticgema: <whispers> in Bucks near High Wycombe J 8/9 off the M4.

In reply to Zygoticgema:

*points and laughs at the Zyg for being fick*

In reply to Ade7: It's about an hour away from where I live apparently... There are some run by St John Amb much nearer.

In reply to Ava Adore:

<squirts Ava with a water pistol and laughs when she's all soaked>

In reply to Zygoticgema:

Don't bloody start, wench.

*gets out MUCH bigger superduperzapperwaterpistolthingy*

In reply to Zygoticgema: Just my humble opinion... St Johns is nice if you want pretty bandaging. Go for an outdoor course if you want practical stuff.
REC or wilderness first aid or similar. HPFA were great if you fancy a weekend in the Peak District.

In reply to marsbar:

Sorry but in my humble opinion that's bollocks. You can learn a lot of the important basics in St John, you use your own intelligence and innitiative to practically apply it out of doors. There should be little difference in the importance of what you learn. Though obviously and outdoor first aid course is more oriented to the needs of an outdoor person.

And with St John if you decide to join you can get the training for nothing as well - guess it would be the same if you could commit to the mountain rescue though - and progress on to higher level training beyond a basic FAW

The OP hasn't said what they want this course for anyway - are they wanting it for their sporting pursuits, or for work place first aid?

In reply to noggy:



Not on the Woodhead MRT course you dont! Too busy putting new found skills into practice on realtime scenarios, and preparing for day 2

In reply to Anonymous:

When I said I had no doubt other providers ran good courses too, I was including yours too Wayne. Various people have raved about first aid courses they’ve attended on UKC, yours being one of them.

On the BASP course I went to, we did our real scenarios too (during the day) and had a relaxed beer or five with the instructor in the evening. Personally, I prefer that approach to the one you’re suggesting, but then everyone is different.

In reply to Zygoticgema:
Your best bet is probably to go for a course which is accepted by the MLTB for SPA / MIA / MIC, that way you know that it will have a decent amount of applicable stuff in it.

I did the Woodhead MRT one and it was brilliant. Really good choice on content, well presented, and I really enjoyed the weekend. The night time exercise was also really worth while

also noggy - the woodhead one is quite full on, but there's always time for beer in the evening, and when I was there everything was done on a honesty box system

In reply to Zygoticgema:

Fancy a trip to the Lakes, Adventure Learning (www.adventurelearning.co.uk) deliver Active Aid First Aid courses aimed at climbers etc. Very proactive and hands on course- great fun. Trainers are all experienced climbers etc. trainers i believe all used to run REC courses.

In reply to Zygoticgema: Where in the SE? You could try surrey first aid.

In reply to Zygoticgema:

I just spent the last 2 days doing an outdoor first aid course run by Marlin. I'd recommend them over other courses I've done (St Andrew's/John's Ambulance, Rescue Emergency Care (REC outdoor)) as they covered trauma in a lot more detail, with things like traction splints that I hadn't done before, and triage, and stuff. Definitely the most outdoor oriented course I've done, and didn't seem boring or repetitive - which is what most first aid courses feel like for at least half the time you are there...

In reply to Zygoticgema: Have been on a few and the Woodhead one knocked the socks off all other comers, was cheaper and the proceeds went to a cause worth supporting. Intense, maybe, but then so is first aid...

In reply to johnSD:


Were you not paying attention to your St John Course - they do teach you to triage on the Basis of ABC? What you might have been taught differently on the MRT course is a form of major incident triage which wouldn't be covered in a basic St John FAW.

However if you'd decided to join the organisation post course they would have taught you things in a lot more detail, and also taught you how to do a lot of the things that you'd felt was missing from the basic FAW.

It depends on how good the teacher is of course, there are some crap and some good St John trainers, just as there are some good and crap other organisation/corporate trainers.

In reply to Allan Thomson:

Pay attention Allan, John was trained by Marlin not MR

In reply to Anonymous:

Fair enough, however it was a detail in text rather than practical teaching which I didn't pick up on. Which is more of a slip?

In reply to pottsworth:

Time for me to Pipe up. Can I just re-iterate that even though the Woodhead Course has become so named its actually run by Blackhill Training to raise funds for Woodhead Team. Blackhill donates all the proceeds after costs to Woodhead MRT.

Watch out for the courses re commencing shortly too!

Wayne
Blackhill Training /Woodhead MRT

In reply to Allan Thomson:

Do you work for St. John Allan? Its always good to meet other trainers to exchange ideas and theories

In reply to Comms27:
No I don't just been a member for about 20 years and picked up a lot of skills from them. Obviously I do share knowledge with other members picked up on training courses, but not a trainer as such.

The organistion isn't perfect, but it's not as bad as some people like to perceive. It depends who you get as a trainer. For example my division had one of the paramedics trainers for the local ambulance service as a member, who would obviously share their knowledge, and also the head of the local ambulance service comes to train on some of our more advanced courses as we have a memorandum of understanding with them that in event of a major incident we would offer support. Also we do some patient transfers.

In reply to Zygoticgema:

not read all of this but have had these two recommended -

Expedition first aid
http://www.lifesignsgroup.co.uk/
Dave Lucas I think runs courses with them
http://www.verticalworld.co.uk/Html/ExpeditionFirstAid.htm

And our very own Caro -
http://www.ukclimbing.com/forums/t.php?t=256083

In reply to Comms27:

Your courses and SJAB are like chalk and cheese, with some overlap. SJAB relies on an ambulance being ten minutes away, not maybe hours away as in MRT situations.

In reply to Allan Thomson:
>

Undoubtedly, and I wasn't having a go at St John's or anything else. It's years since I did stuff through the Scouts, so no doubt there are things that I've forgotten, or have changed since then.


It does, and also how much the course is tailored to outdoor situations (if that is why you are doing it). Again, not having a go at any other providers, but I definitely found the course I did this week better than others I've done in the past.

In reply to johnSD:

The thing is, what you do is take your knowledge learned in those situations and apply it across the board. You can never train for every eventuality, you have to learn the basic principles and how to apply them across the board.

In reply to sutty:
No the training doesn't just rely on an ambulance being 10 minutes away, you're prepared for other situations as well. In some of those situations you're going to be the ambulance, and so have to use every bit of kit you have. Furthermore being spoonfed for specific examples would mean there was a lack of verstility in that individuals would be unable to apply their training to unusual situtations.

Anyway GTG have to get to work now.

In reply to sutty:

Yes i know. i was just trying to find out Allans background etc. Even though levels of qualification /experience are different, interaction between trainers to exchange ideas particularly on the teaching side of 1st Aid is invaluable.

In reply to Comms27:

Do you remember an article in one of the mags where the title was something like , Savlon will be redundant on this wilderness course.

Showed how to do things in the wild, maybe days not hours from civilization.