Emergency first aid skills on offer

Madeleys First Aid Plus - an award-winning provider of physical and mental health first aid training - is encouraging businesses to equip their staff with the necessary skills to respond effectively to outdoor accidents, illnesses, and emergencies.

Lou Madeley, a former A&E and ITU nurse with first-hand experience in treating accident victims, has expanded the offerings of Madeleys First Aid Plus by introducing accredited courses tailored for outdoor activities such as rugby, motorcycling, horse riding, cycling, hiking, climbing and canoeing.

Lou is determined to impart life-saving skills to outdoor instructors and leaders, as well as those working within farming and forestry businesses. emphasising the importance of immediate response before professional assistance arrives.

She said: “Head or spinal injuries, cardiac arrests, serious bleeding, choking, shock and fractures can all be treated with emergency first aid, dramatically increasing the chances of a person’s survival and minimising long-term damage.”

As Shropshire is one of the most rural and sparsely-populated counties in the country and is a magnet for outdoor pursuit enthusiasts, Lou was inspired to offer these courses to small and medium-sized businesses to ensure the safety of their staff, customers and communities.

“Outdoor pursuits and rural-based businesses are risky with the added danger of hypothermia and the challenge of the emergency services accessing remote places. That is why I am on a mission to demystify first aid and break down barriers, by offering specialised training, real-life scenario-based learning and teaching effective decision-making to empower individuals, businesses and communities to ‘Stop, Think and Act’.”

The courses provided by Madeleys First Aid Plus cover everything from initial assessment to emergency primary treatment, monitoring, and deciding when or whether to move the patient.

Established in September 2021, Madeleys First Aid Plus was founded by Lou after 18 months in COVID-19 ITU at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital having volunteered to redeploy back into the NHS.

Lou's commitment to excellence was acknowledged when she won the FSB Best Start-up in the West Midlands in May 2023. In addition, Lou has initiated a podcast called "First Aid Unboxed" to educate a broader audience. The company operates from its headquarters in Much Wenlock.