A mother whose son bled to death with no first aid equipment nearby has thanked a partnership for its work in delivering 70 trauma kits around the Mansfield district.

Community leaders, licensed premises owners, and Mansfield District Council officers celebrated the milestone at an event that highlighted the importance of why the kits, which help stop serious blood loss in an emergency, are needed throughout the UK.

The location of the kits can be found at www.mansfield.gov.uk/traumakits. The kits have been registered with 999, so anyone calling for an ambulance will be directed to the nearest one.

Dr Lynne Baird, founder of the Daniel Baird Foundation, who has led the campaign to install trauma kits across the country, told guests at the Palace Theatre why she is on a mission to better equip and train the community to prevent future loss of life.

Lynne’s life was ripped apart in the summer of 2017 when her 26-year-old son, Daniel, was stabbed during a fight outside a Digbeth pub.

He received no first aid at the scene and bled to death shortly after reaching hospital.

The tragedy was a catalyst for Lynne to create the foundation in her son’s name. It pioneered bleed control kits for use in public venues and supplies free training in their use.

So far, the kits have been installed across London, the West Midlands, and now Mansfield, as well as around the world.

She said: “You are the third town in the country to do something like this.

“We started the campaign after I lost Dan, as I couldn’t get my head around how he bled to death. He didn’t stand a chance; no one called an ambulance or the police.

“My other son, who works at the hospital, told me afterwards that this kind of equipment is not available to the public and not in first aid kits. I thought, well, what use is that? The public needs to be aware of this type of thing.

“It’s still a struggle to get these kits out there, but I still keep on and don’t let it go. Look at the lives these have saved already; they just buy precious minutes. Anyone can use them, you don’t need to be medically trained — even I know how to use them, and it’s something any member of the public can do.”

The installation of the lifesaving specialist equipment across Mansfield was made possible thanks to £9,500 funding from the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

The funding was part of the Safer4All campaign, which has also seen projects come together in the Oak Tree area to tackle anti-social behaviour and bike theft.

Commissioner Caroline Henry and Mansfield mayor Andy Abrahams thanked partners for their support in delivering the project.
Caroline said: “Keeping the people of Nottinghamshire safe often means going beyond policing and looking at innovative ways we can ensure people’s safety.

Andy added: “I think it is incredible what Lynne is achieving, turning the tragedy of losing her son into a mission to prevent that terrible situation happening to others.

“Only good things can come about from raising awareness and training up our communities should an emergency happen on the street or in a premises.

“By working together with the foundation and the PCC, we are keeping our communities safe and putting Mansfield on the map as a place of best practice. I hope it encourages other local authorities to increase their safety provisions in the community.”

The specialist trauma kits are easy to use and designed to complement existing venue first aid supplies. They can be used to control bleeding from trauma injuries caused by serious road traffic collisions, slips, and trips, or any major accidents before an ambulance or paramedics arrive.

The kits have been registered with 999, so anyone calling for an ambulance will be directed to a nearby kit. To view locations of the kits go to www.mansfield.gov.uk/traumakits.

Each of them contains a trauma dressing, gauze dressing, chest seal, tourniquet, gloves, and scissors.

There are also two kits installed in a red metal box to make them visible on the street, should they be needed, in Mansfield Woodhouse, on Warsop High Street, and in Meden Vale.