The main advantage is for the community. There are currently no schemes operating around Heath, Cathays, Roath and Gabalfa areas of Cardiff. Being such a densely populated area, a large number of the public will gain from such a scheme being in place. Members of the community will benefit, as events such as choking and loss of consciousness can affect anyone; but the greatest impact will be aimed at the older population who are at a higher risk of heart attacks and stroke.

Although students from all five years of the medical course have enrolled onto the scheme, the vast majority are in their 4th and 5th years of training. These students have completed ‘basic life support’ training as part of the course; and have in fact also attained higher levels of qualification, such as ‘immediate life support’. This means that the training required to prepare these students (although mandatory) will be straightforward and easily completed.

Although there have been many successful schemes set up already; this will be the first scheme of its kind in the UK using medical students and the largest scheme. The aim is to set an example for other medical schools to replicate - hopefully with the first to follow being the post-grad. medical school at Swansea.

There is also a great advantage for the students themselves from participating in such a scheme – providing an invaluable opportunity to gain experience in dealing with emergency situations; preparing tomorrow’s doctors for the future.