The end of the year is drawing closer; in fact, it’s just over a week away! Remember the New Year’s resolutions you set last year? You totally intended to stick to a strict exercise regime and have a more balanced diet, but the chilly weather and the leftover stash of mince pies made it impossible.

We set these goals with the best intention to develop our repertoire of skills or to have a healthier lifestyle so that we can look back at the end of the year feeling content. However, more often than not it just doesn’t happen, so rather than feeling deflated this time next year, set yourself a more attainable goal. We advise that you should always ensure that you have a first aid kit to hand filled with essential items because you never know when you might need them.

First aid kits aren’t just useful for dealing with bumps and scrapes; having bandages readily available could be the difference between life and death.

In the final instalment of the 12 Days of First Aid Tips, we want to recap the important items to stock in your first aid kit with the help of our fancy new infographic. 

 Some people would say that the best part of Christmas is giving and receiving gifts. Although it’s fantastic receiving something on your wish list, the greatest gift you can receive is a lifetime of wonderful memories and adventures. (Cheesy but true!)

Just imagine for a second that your life was cut short by an underlying heart condition that had gone undetected until it was too late. This is what happens to many people that have suffered a cardiac arrest. However, with the right know-how and quick thinking we can save someone experiencing cardiac arrest. 

In the 11^th addition of the 12 Days of First Aid Tips, we will teach you how defibrillation is used to treat cardiac arrest. 

On Christmas day houses are often filled with mountains of scrunched up wrapping paper and packaging. Weeks later you will still find the plastic ties from gifts dotted around the house and Christmas decorations that have plummeted from the tree under the sofa. 

There’s far too much for little ones to sink their teeth into and we could certainly use eyes in the back of our head to catch toddlers in the act. Turning your back for a split second could be all it takes for them to pick something off the floor, put it in their mouth and start to choke.

In the 10^th instalment of the 12 Days of First Aid Tips, we will teach you the correct procedure used to stop an infant from choking. 

There are so many magical things about Christmas; the excitement of children as they wake up and Father Christmas has been, carol singers, twinkling lights on the tree and snowfall - if we’re lucky enough. However, the best thing about Christmas has to be spending time with our loved ones.

But what would you do if a member of your family or friends fell seriously ill and needed urgent medical attention? It’s a horrible thought, but people with underlying heart conditions can often put a great deal of strain on their heart at this time of year by indulging in sweet treats and alcohol or even shovelling snow from the driveway. 

In the 9^th instalment of the 12 Days of First Aid Tips, we want to educate you on how to perform CPR, so that if you are faced with an unconscious casualty who has stopped breathing you will be able to act quickly and effectively, giving them the best possible chance of survival.