Our Mini Medics Young Reporter Isabelle catches up with our very own First Aid expert Mrs McGrath about Penrice Mini Medics. The Mini Medics programme, delivered by Penrice Academy First Aider and care plan co-ordinator Mrs McGrath, teachers the students all the basics of first aid from the recovery position to using a defibrillator. In this report I will be interviewing Mrs McGrath and a Year 7 student to see how Mini Medics benefits students in Penrice Academy. Isabelle: Why do you think mini medics is important to learn as a Year 7? Mrs McGrath: Mini Medics is important for a number of reasons because anyone of our children whilst they’re out or at home could come across any medical emergency that they may have to deal with. So we at Penrice deliver a program that include those skills to be able to do so. And it’s not just year 7, because now at Penrice there are year 7, 8 and 9 trained so there are 900 children all knocking about St. Austell that all know what to do in an emergency. Next year, when the new year 7 come up, there will be year 7, 8, 9 and 10 all trained. Our goal is to get the whole school to be trained. Isabelle: How can be trained as a Mini Medic benefit students? Mrs McGrath: When I teach Mini Medics there are a couple of examples that I teach my students. There was a boy, his name was Hamid, he was 9 years old and he did a similar form of training at cubs. His mum had taken a medication in the morning – and this is a real story from the British heart foundation – and she had never taken this medication before. In the afternoon she became unconscious and because of his first aid training he knew how to put his mum in the recovery position to maintain her air way and how to call the ambulance and what to say. He was 9 years old and he saved his mums life! So you could be out with your friends, you could be out in McDonalds, you could be in Costa and one of you friends could be choking and you would know how to deal with it. Or if your friend stopped breathing you would know how to use a defibrillator. So yes, it could benefit you as you could save a life. Isabelle: What do you learn in Mini Medics? Mrs McGrath: You learn a variety of subjects: What is first aid – the first aid kit and how to recognise a first aid kit, like what’s in there are how to use each piece of equipment inside. We learn how to communicate with a casualty, what DR ABC is (Danger, Response, Air way, Breathing and CPR). We learn CPR separately as well as defibrillation and how to use defibrillators. We practice the recovery position and what to do if someone is choking. Then we talk about asthma and how to deal with an attack before dealing with cuts and bleeding. Finally, we learn about shocks. Isabelle: And Sophia, what was your opinion on Mini Medics? Student: I think Mini Medics is a very useful programme as it teaches you valuable and lifesaving skills for future references like if you had to put someone in the recovery position. Isabelle: Do you think Mini Medics is a good idea? Student: Yes, definitely. I think it’s a good fun way of teaching year 7 how to be prepared for a medical emergency. Recently the government has recommended that all students be trained in basic first aid – it is good to know that Mrs McGrath and Penrice Academy are ahead of the game! Isabelle