Grit and Gauze Blog

When someone collapses and has a cardiac arrest, every second counts. Immediate CPR can double or even triple the chance of survival. Yet across the UK, women are significantly less likely to receive CPR from a bystander — even when the cardiac arrest happens in public. This gender gap is costing lives, and it’s time we talk about it. Understanding the CPR Gender Gap Research across Europe and the UK shows a consistent pattern: Only around 68% of women receive bystander CPR,

Emergencies rarely announce themselves. They happen in car parks, on footpaths, in workplaces, on the school run, or during a quiet walk with the dog. As civilians, we don’t carry full trauma bags or advanced medical kits — but we can carry enough to make a meaningful difference in the first critical minutes of an incident. This guide breaks down how to prepare for emergency medical situations with minimal equipment, focusing on everyday carry (EDC) items that fit in a pocket

Emergency responders are trained to run toward danger, stabilise chaos, and make life‑or‑death decisions in seconds. But once the sirens fade and the scene clears, the psychological impact often lingers far longer than the physical one. For many responders, the real emergency begins after the incident — inside their own minds. This post explores post‑incident mental health from the responder’s perspective, highlights the scale of the problem across UK emergency services, and

Our Logo embodies what we stand for: The Heart to Act, The Skill to Save. Although we do most of our social media and blogging through Facebook, we thought a blog on the website might be of use to our students and visitors. Once a week (unless very busy), we'll try to update the blog with information about the company, First Aid topics and general interest points in the First Aid training, Mental Health and Tactical Medicine world. Watch this space for your first blog, which