Ten life-saving bleed control kits installed in Bournemouth Town Centre

Ten wall-mounted ‘bleed control kits’, containing first aid supplies which could save a life, are being installed at key locations around Bournemouth Town Centre.

Funded by Bournemouth Town Centre BID, cabinets containing these vital medical packs are being placed in strategic locations around the town centre including Bournemouth Library, BH2, Obscura Café, Grosvenor Casino, Westover Road, Old Christchurch Road and Holdenhurst Road, following an investment of £7,500.

The new bleed kits are in addition to the existing defibrillator units in the town centre, sitting alongside them in many locations, boosting lifesaving first aid resources in the area.

Bournemouth Town Centre BID Chair Martin Davies said:

“Bleed kits have been installed in a number of towns and city centres across the UK providing potentially life-saving resources should the need arise. Adopting this proactive measure underscores our commitment to safety and well-being in Bournemouth town centre.”

On average, it only takes only around four minutes to lose a critical amount of blood after a serious injury. The bleed kits, containing equipment such as tourniquets and haemostatic dressings which can be used to pack and control severely bleeding wounds, could make all the difference.

In the event of an emergency, a bleed kit trained individual, for example a police officer, could provide the necessary first aid to reduce blood loss until paramedics arrive, potentially saving the life of someone with a serious injury, for example an injury sustained in a road traffic accident or assault.

Bournemouth Town Centre BID Chief Operating Officer Paul Kinvig said:’

“The locations have been chosen so that, wherever you are in Bournemouth Town Centre BID area, there will be one nearby, and we are sincerely grateful to the landlords and businesses who have supported installations on their premises.”

The first of the wall mounted bleed kit cabinets have already been installed with the rest due to go up before the end of January. They will be now a permanent fixture in the town centre in key spots including areas of high footfall.

In the event of an emergency, members of the public should always call 999 and be guided through how to help by a call handler.