Young Minds Save Lives Project

What are we doing?

The Young Minds Save Lives programme, which is run by the Service and is currently funded by NHS Charities Together, is uniquely co-designed with young people and provides them with vital knowledge and skills on how to respond in a medical emergency and preventative healthcare. It also aims to raise awareness about future careers in health and opportunities for volunteering, whilst developing skills in when and how to access healthcare.

How we are doing it?

Phase one of the pilot training programme was designed with S3 students from Shawlands Academy and Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow, focusing on local community health needs. It was delivered by local frontline paramedics and covered topics such as the recovery position, recognising strokes, chest pain and heart attacks, drug and alcohol harm, and street first aid including excessive bleeding from penetrating wounds such as knives.

We are currently delivering the programme to an additional three schools in Glasgow - St Margaret Mary’s Secondary School, Castlemilk High School and Hollybrook Academy which supports pupils with additional learning needs. At the young people's request, we’ve added a mental health topic, which was again co-designed with students to ensure the content addresses what they consider most important. We’ve also worked with Hollybrook Academy to create engaging and interactive learning experiences. This collaborative effort aims to provide meaningful and accessible healthcare education for all.

What were the results of phase one??

Over 1200 high school students have increased their knowledge and confidence in responding to medical emergencies as a direct result of this ground breaking pilot programme.

An evaluation conducted by the University of Glasgow has reported impressive results from this initial phase including a 150% increase in awareness of how to put someone in the recovery position, a 49% increase in confidence in providing first aid to a penetrating wound, and a 30% increase in confidence about responding to an emergency that might involve drugs and/or alcohol.

Figures showed that when it came to chest pains and heart attacks, there was a 44% increase in confidence about responding to an emergency that might involve a heart attack, a 47% increase in confidence when performing CPR, a 97% increase in knowledge of when to use a defibrillator, and a 64% increase in confidence in using a defibrillator.

Next Steps

The next step is to secure ongoing investment which will enable us to roll the initiative out across the country. We can then train more young people in vital skills and preventative healthcare areas, all tailored to suit them and their local community’s needs.

For more information about how you can support the Young Minds Save Lives initiative, contact: sas.ymsl@nhs.scot.