People urged to learn important life skill by scanning QR code in new scheme

Customers can learn the skill by scanning the QR code on parcel lockers as part of a new initiative

People could learn an important life skill in minutes by scanning a QR code on Royal Mail lockers. The training is free to complete, and it could help people in a life-threatening emergency. The postal service has teamed up with the British Heart Foundation to help educate communities by teaching CPR.

As part of the partnership, Royal Mail parcel lockers are displaying a QR code linking to the British Heart Foundation’s free CPR training tool, RevivR. The free online CPR training course is also available for anyone to complete on the British Heart Foundation website.

Posting about RevivR on Facebook, the Royal Mail said: “February is Heart Month. We’re spreading the word about CPR and using our Parcel Locker network to help even more people learn how to save a life. Simply scan the QR code on the Parcel Locker for more information.”

According to the post, the partnership has helped over 150,000 people learn CPR. Over 250 defibrillators have also been placed in communities, thanks to funds raised.

In another Facebook message, Royal Mail explained that customers might notice the RevivR postmark on letters sent this month. The post said: “Have you seen our RevivR postmark on your letters this #HeartMonth? We’re proudly supporting the British Heart Foundation in their mission to train the nation in CPR with RevivR. It’s completely free, takes just 15 minutes, and all you need is a smartphone and a cushion.”

More information about RevivR is available on the British Heart Foundation website. The charity says participants ‘can learn how to save a life and receive your very own CPR certificate’ by completing the 15-minute training.

RevivR teaches participants how to identify a cardiac arrest, what to expect when you call 999, how to perfect CPR technique, and how to find and use a defibrillator. To date, 300,000 people have completed the training, with over 40% of participants reporting an increase in CPR confidence upon completion.

Explaining the importance of the training, the British Heart Foundation said: “CPR is an emergency lifesaving procedure, performed when the heart stops beating, often called a cardiac arrest. It is necessary to save the life of someone in cardiac arrest.

“Each year over 40,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK. Less than 1 in 10 survive. Giving CPR promptly and using a defibrillator can more than double the chances of survival. Learning CPR with RevivR is free, simple and convenient. All you need is a cushion and your phone or tablet.”

As the NHS explains, a heart attack is a medical emergency. The health service says to call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack, as the faster you act, the better their chances of survival.

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