Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is giving Gloucestershire motorists the opportunity to learn the basics of CPR and how to use a defibrillator – knowledge that's now required for UK driving theory tests.
The lifesaving air ambulance charity has welcomed the news that from early 2026, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has expanded the driving theory test question bank to include cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
Hailing the move as 'a significant step forward in improving cardiac arrest survival rates across the UK', the charity is giving drivers the chance to acquire the knowledge they need to respond to emergencies, through its Lifesaver first aid courses in 2026.
As a charity delivering advanced pre-hospital critical care across the region, Midlands Air Ambulance Charity regularly attends serious road traffic collisions – where cardiac arrest can occur as a result of trauma or shock, or where a driver experiencing a cardiac arrest has a collision – and medical emergencies in public spaces including at the roadside, where members of the public were the first on scene.
The charity says more than 40,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests occur in the UK each year, yet fewer than one in ten people currently survive.
Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a casualty’s chance of survival by up to 10 per cent – but when CPR is started and a defibrillator is used within three to five minutes of collapse, survival rates can increase to as much as 70 per cent.
Stephen Mason, critical care paramedic for the charity, said: 'When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute counts. The actions taken by bystanders before ambulance crews arrive can be the difference between life and death.
'Early CPR and defibrillation restore blood flow and oxygen to vital organs, reducing the risk of brain damage and organ failure. This not only saves lives but also means survivors are less likely to need long-term rehabilitation or ongoing care. From both a patient and healthcare perspective, that early intervention is absolutely critical.'
Currently, public access defibrillators are used in fewer than 10 per cent of cardiac arrests, often due to a lack of public awareness and confidence.
The charity says that by training millions of new drivers through the theory test, far more people will have the skills and reassurance needed to act decisively in those 'vital' first moments – which it says could significantly increase survival rates and has the potential to save thousands of lives each year.
Midlands Air Ambulance Charity is providing its Lifesaver first aid training to people across the region in 2026.
The 3.5 hour course covers the theory and practice of basic life support, including adult, child and infant CPR, using an AED, anaphylaxis, choking in adults, children and infants, and the unconscious casualty.
Costing £55 per person, courses are scheduled for Tuesday 16 June 2026 and Tuesday 22 September 2026, both from 6pm till 9.30pm at its Cosford Airbase in Shropshire.
For more information about the course, and to book, visit midlandsairambulance.com/education/first-aid-courses/lifesaver.
