There are many items of first aid equipment available for organisations and individuals to buy and a considerable number of these play a vital role in helping to reduce suffering and in saving lives. One type of product that can have a particularly dramatic and immediate effect on people’s chances of survival is the defibrillator.

Indeed, your organisation may be keen to purchase equipment like this to have on standby in case of emergencies.

Near tragedy causes first aid rethink

Earlier this year, Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba collapsed mid-game to the horror of his fellow players and the spectators watching at the ground and on television. The 24-year-old had suffered a cardiac arrest during an FA Cup tie with Tottenham.

The sportsman was clinically dead for total of 78 minutes and needed a total of 15 defibrillator shocks. Defying the odds, he continues to recover.

In response to the incident, Stoke City Football Club is launching a project to install defibrillators across the city. The club intends to make money available from its community fund to ensure that more of these life-saving devices are made available.

Applying for funding

Interested parties, such as schools and leisure centres, will be able to apply for cash to help them purchase the items.

Commenting on the move, Stoke boss Tony Pulis said: “The Fabrice Muamba incident shocked us all, but it also highlighted the huge importance of having those life-saving skills close at hand.

“Fabrice owes his life to the incredible efforts of those who went to his aid and so we must do all we can to ensure those life-saving skills are more readily available. If there is some good to come out of this case, then it is that it has raised awareness and hopefully many people associated with the club will take this training.”

Meanwhile, the club’s head of community Adrian Hurst added: “We were committed to supporting this initiative before the unfortunate incident involving Muamba, but this has clearly given it even greater purpose in seeking to make a difference in these situations.

“In fact, it is only recently that two members of our Community team who have basic first aid training found themselves in a situation where they had to administer CPR treatment to someone who had suffered a cardiac arrest while attending one of our activities.”

The importance of first aid training

Of course, if your organisation is planning to get new defibrillators, it is vital that you ensure the relevant people have received all the training they need so that they’re able to operate the items effectively.

Thankfully, accessing training is now easier than ever, so you shouldn’t struggle to achieve this goal.

Meanwhile, when you’re on the lookout for defibrillators, first aid training equipment and other similar products, you can come here to us at Bound Tree Medical. We offer a range of superb items that might be just what you’re looking for.

To find out more about what we sell and to see whether we have just what you need, simply take a look around our website.

These days, the range of medical treatments available is vast and much of the care people receive is highly sophisticated and technology-dependent. However, one of the most fundamental priorities when it comes to treating patients is something far more basic and this is hygiene.

If your organisation fails when it comes to maintaining suitable levels of cleanliness, the results can be disastrous. With this in mind, you’re no doubt eager to get your hands on all the relevant medical supplies.

Changes in hygiene rules

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has updated its infection control guidance, which was originally published in 2003. Now, GPs, nurses and other healthcare professionals are under instructions to decontaminate their hands immediately after having direct contact with patients.

It is hoped that the measures will help in the battle to prevent the spread of infections within healthcare settings.

Minimising patient suffering

If the plans work, the number of individuals who suffer as a result of healthcare-associated infections may fall. At present, around 300,000 people develop complications of this kind every year and certain infections can prove deadly, NICE pointed out.

For example, in 2007, around 9,000 patients in England died in hospital and primary care environments because of Clostridium difficile and methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

Understanding the new rules

According to NICE, hands must be decontaminated before every episode of direct contact with patients, and this should now include aseptic procedures as well. Also, hands should be decontaminated after contact with patients or with body fluids. This process must also take place after contact with a patient’s surroundings that could potential pose a risk.

Also, gloves that have been exposed to body fluids and could be contaminated should be disposed of correctly.

The significance of infection control

Commenting on this issue, Dr Julian Spinks, a GP and member of the Guideline Development Group for this update, said: “At a time where increasingly complex procedures are being provided in primary care, infection control is becoming more and more important.

“This guideline provides information about effective and practical measures that primary care clinicians can take to reduce the burden of healthcare-associated infection and forms an important part of the armoury for those of us who wish to provide high quality care in the community.”

Sourcing superb hygiene products

Of course, in order to follow guidelines provided by organisations like NICE, it’s crucial that you have all the right products. This is where we come in. Here at Bound Tree Medical we supply a plethora of items that might be just what you’re looking for.

For example, we can offer excellent quality hand sanitizer and latex gloves, among other things.

To see the full range of items we stock, including our hygiene-related products, just take a look around the rest of our website. The great thing is, as well as making sure we provide a wide variety of products, we also go out of our way to ensure that the process of ordering the goods is simple and quick.

Although serious accidents and injuries may seem relatively infrequent in the course of an average working day, they are actually happening all of the time. Indeed, somewhere in the UK, an accident or incident is happening at this very moment.

Unfortunately, the vast majority of these events happen away from well-equipped medical facilities and fully-trained healthcare professionals; therefore the well-being of the casualty often lies in the hands of those around them.

These situations require the application of first aid.

What is first aid?
First aid is a term given to a collection of skills and techniques that can be used to help treat a wide range of injuries and medical conditions. A person who has received the necessary training and has been certified to carry out these techniques is known as a ‘first aider’. First aiders often need specialist first aid supplies to provide casualties with suitable treatment. Practically all of these supplies can be found in first aid kits.

What is in a first aid kit?
Although there are many different kits now available to suit a wide range of needs, a basic first aid kit will include: a range of bandages and dressings, nitrile gloves, sterile eye pads, gauze pads, wound closure strips, adhesive tape, scissors, swabs and emergency foil blankets.

To find out more about the application of first aid, as well as the importance of a well-stocked first aid kit; take some time to browse our pages here at Bound Tree Medical.

Emergency healthcare professionals such as paramedics, first responders and ambulance staff are often required to work in potentially hazardous areas that can put their own well-being at risk. For example, the first ambulance or paramedic crews that arrive at a road traffic accident (RTA) can often be at risk from passing vehicles as they are obliged to act before the traffic can be controlled by police. Naturally, this can be even more perilous at night or in bad weather when visibility is significantly reduced.

It is for this reason that emergency healthcare professionals are issued with high visibility ambulance jackets. These indispensable jackets really are vitally important as they not only enable paramedic and ambulance crews to be clearly seen and identified; they also allow them to benefit from the hard wearing, weather-resistant and functional qualities they provide. This means that these hard-working and ultra-efficient professionals can carry out their vital tasks without fear of being injured or hindered in any way.

Here at Bound Tree Medical, we provide high visibility clothing options that have been specifically designed with emergency healthcare professionals in mind. For example, our 3-in-1 ambulance jacket is the perfect choice for ambulance and paramedic crews as it is not only highly reflective, hard-wearing and weatherproof; it also contains functional extras such as easy fastenings, pen holders and mobile phone pouches, too.

Browse our pages further to view our excellent high vis clothing options and medical supplies in greater detail.

Mountain biking has grown to become an incredibly popular sport in the UK. Indeed, its winning combination of physical fitness, outdoor adventure and stress relief has helped to earn it legions of devoted followers over the last few decades.

However, it is fair to say that mountain biking is not without risk. Certainly the types of environments used along with the often high speeds involved can conspire to throw even the most skilled riders from their bikes and furnish them with a wide range of long and short-term injuries.

Therefore, anyone taking part in this exciting sport must make sure they take a first aid kit with them whenever they go for anything more than a gentle ride.

Grab bag first aid kits can be a particularly good option for mountain bike enthusiasts as they are small enough to be carried in a daysack yet contain a wide range of first aid supplies that can be of great help to an injured rider.  Indeed, with a selection of wipes, plasters, bandages, pads, dressings and emergency foil blankets all included as standard; grab bags can provide relief and aid for a wide range of bike-related accidents.

Mountain biking is a wonderful activity which can provide participants with many different physical and spiritual rewards. However, it can also be very dangerous at times, so it is important that participants remember that adequate first aid provision is a must.

Explore our pages further to view our excellent grab bags in greater detail.

It is no secret that kids seem be able to sniff out mischief and harm just as easy as a cat can smell fish. So, if you are a parent, you need to ensure that you are adequately prepared to deal with any type of accident or injury which may come your way.

Be prepared
Naturally, the best way to be prepared for any such eventualities is to have a first aid box in your home that is well-stocked with a wide assortment of useful provisions. Of course, you yourself will also need to have a basic understanding of first aid, as you will need to know which first aid supplies to use and how best to use them. Happily, basic first aid skills can be learnt very quickly and easily on a wide range of affordable first aid training courses that are constantly run all over the country.

Share the knowledge
Another great way to help ensure your kids stay safe and well is to provide them with a bit of first aid knowledge of their own. Indeed, providing them with even a rudimentary understanding of some of the more basic skills (i.e. putting on bandages, keeping weight off of sprains) can enable them to look after themselves and their pals when there are no adults around. As well as helping to keep them safe, having this type of knowledge can also encourage them to foster a more responsible approach to play.

Whenever you are looking to buy a new product, quality is usually the aspect that trumps everything else. For example, you would most likely be happy to pay a little extra for something that was guaranteed to function well rather than save a few quid by buying an ill-performing ‘bargain’. Of course, while there are many areas where a product’s standard of performance is not a seriously big deal; there are others where it can literally be a matter of life and death.

For example, there is no room for poor performance of any kind when it comes to first aid equipment. Indeed, apparatus and supplies of this kind have a very specific and incredibly important purpose to fulfil. If they malfunction in any way, already injured or unwell people could not only be made to suffer even more; their health could also be put in very serious jeopardy.

With this in mind, it is absolutely vital that you only source your vital medical essentials from reputable and responsible suppliers like us here at Bound Tree Medical.

Quality really is at the heart of everything we do and we believe this can be clearly seen in the products and supplies we offer. Indeed, everything from the bandages and uniforms to the training aids and stretchers we stock here at Bound Tree Medical is manufactured to the highest standards; therefore, you can be sure that any item you order from us really will be of the very best quality.

It can often be very liberating to get out into the wild and escape the hustle and bustle of modern life. Certainly, leaving the car behind and hiking out across expanses of moors or mountains, either by yourself or with a like-minded companion, can be psychologically rewarding as well as physically satisfying.

However, there are two sides to the coin. Indeed, whilst being far away from the trials and tribulations of the everyday world can help you to recharge your batteries and bring down your stress levels, it can also leave you very isolated if anything goes wrong. In fact, being exposed to the elements without a mobile phone signal after suffering an injury or falling ill, can at best be terrifying and at worst, be fatal.

That is why it as absolutely essential that you take some first aid supplies with you whenever you venture far off the beaten track.

Grab bag first aids kits can the perfect option for outdoor pursuits like trekking, hiking and mountaineering as they contain a wide selection of essential items in a bag which won’t take up a lot of room in your backpack. A typical grab bag contains gloves, wipes, plasters, eye irrigation pods and eye pads, a range of bandages, pads and dressings, emergency foil blankets and lifeshield resuscitators; so they are well-equipped to handle a wide range of medical emergencies.

So, next time you get the urge to ‘go native’, make sure you’re fully equipped.

These days, the techniques available to medics are highly impressive. From stem cell therapy to micro surgery and much more, the treatments now on offer are hugely sophisticated.

However, it is still vital for doctors, nurses, surgeons and so on to observe the most basic and fundamental principles of medicine. For example, it is crucial that they adhere to best practice when it comes to hygiene. While this may seem like a simple issue, it is one of the most important. Infections can cause extreme suffering and in some cases even result in fatalities.

For this reason, the significance of hygiene-related medical supplies cannot be underestimated. By using the best offerings around and ensuring they stick to cleanliness regulations, health professionals can massively reduce the risks facing patients.

Thankfully, it is now easier than ever before for organisations to get hold of the appropriate equipment. For example, here at Bound Tree Medical we understand the importance of this issue and that’s why we go out of our way to stock an array of hygiene-related items.

So, whether you are on the lookout for surgical gloves, hand sanitizer or anything else of this nature, you should not struggle to find it via our website. Plus, because of our commitment to offering the highest quality products, you can have faith in the standard of the items you purchase from us.

Keeping control over cleanliness standards can have a huge impact on patient outcomes and this issue is never one to be taken lightly.

Dealing with one patient at a time can be hard enough for medical professionals. However, it is sometimes necessary for doctors, nurses, surgeons and so on to help many individuals simultaneously. This is far from ideal, because it places great pressure on medical practitioners, but sometimes it simply cannot be avoided.

For example, terrorist incidents, freak weather conditions, fires and so on can result in multiple injuries among many people. In order to minimise the human suffering associated with such events, it’s vital that the appropriate first aid equipment is available.

If your organisation is responsible for dealing with emergencies, it is important that you have access to all the items you need to help you cope with the tough conditions.

Thankfully, sourcing provisions of this kind is now easier than ever before. Here at Bound Tree Medical we offer an array of superb products that may be of use in mass casualty situations.

For example, we can provide you with oxygen masks, evacuation chairs and other such items. In some cases, such provisions can prove life-saving.

Also, if you need to manage the scene itself, you might be interested in our barrier tapes, lights, megaphones and so on.

Knowing you have all the right equipment in place in case such an incident occurs is of paramount importance.

Of course, it is also vital that personnel within your organisation are well trained in terms of how to respond to these situations and how to use all the equipment that is available.