(Image: YAS)
The Yorkshire Ambulance Service is introducing female manikins into CPR training to help close the gender gap in cardiac arrest survival.
The Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity (YAS Charity), in partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, aims to address public discomfort around performing CPR on women.
This includes concerns about touching the chest and using defibrillators that require access to bare skin.
Sasha Bipin, community engagement officer, said: "In my work with a range of diverse groups, including some that are predominantly male, I am often asked whether performing CPR on a woman differs from performing CPR on a man.
"Participants frequently raise concerns about maintaining a casualty’s dignity when carrying out chest compressions or using a defibrillator, with some worried that they could get into trouble for assisting a female."
The new female manikins will be used in CPR training sessions across Yorkshire and were used on Restart a Heart Day, when more than 800 off-duty staff and volunteers trained 35,000 students.
Carey Taylor, head of YAS Charity, said: "By funding the provision of female manikins during training sessions, the YAS Charity aims to change perceptions and give people the reassurance to know that acting fast is the right thing to do to save a life regardless of gender."