Are prehospital deaths from trauma and accidental injury preventable? A summary report 1 Foreword n 1994 Dr Hussain and Professor Anthony Redmond completed a study which looked at the worryingly high number of people that were dying Ifrom accidental and traumatic injuries before they reached a hospital. They wanted to know if there were circumstances under which these deaths might have been prevented. At the British Red Cross, we have long believed that knowing just a few basic first aid skills can give someone the power to save a life. So, 22 years later, we have asked the question again. Working with Professor Redmond, we have learnt that tragically, the situation in 2016 is much the same. When a person is injured, many well-meaning people will rush to call 999 but few go on to provide first aid while they wait for help to arrive. We believe that most people lack the skills and confidence to do more. We know that people generally want to help but the fact that they are not equipped to step forward can lead to unnecessary deaths. There are two simple but life-saving first aid skills which we’d like everyone to learn: open a person’s airway by placing them on their side with their head tilted back, and put pressure on bleeding wounds.