Dave Thompson MSP

SKYE, Lochaber and Badenoch MSP Dave Thompson will welcome a pupil group from Portree High School to the Scottish parliament on Wednesday as they demonstrate the basic training they have received in Emergency Life Support skills.

Pupils from the school are among a handful in the Highlands and Islands to have benefitted from such training and Mr Thompson has lobbied The Highland Council to call for these potentially-lifesaving techniques to be taught far more widely. In July Mr Thompson, vice-convener of the Parliament’s cross-party group on coronary heart disease and stroke, contacted Hugh Fraser, the local authority’s director of education, to pass on a call from a constituent on Skye for all children to receive basic training in Emergency Life Support (ELS).

At Portree this is offered to pupils by members of the Lucky2BHere charity, one of three charities involved in a national campaign for ELS to be taught in all schools as part of the Curriculum for Excellence (the other charities involved are the British Heart Foundation, Scotland and Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland.

Following lobbying by Mr Thompson it emerged that discussions were taking place at The Highland Council about rolling out the initiative to more schools in the area but was being held up by the limited availability of qualified trainers.

Mr Thompson said: “It is always good to welcome young people from my constituency to Parliament but this visit from Portree High School is especially pleasing because they will be demonstrating a range of simple techniques that could literally be the difference between life and death one day.

“The chances of a casualty making a more complete recovery are improved dramatically if, in the minutes between an incident and the arrival of trained paramedics, they are tended by someone who knows these simple steps that can make the difference.

“I was pleased that my approach to The Highland Council was met with cautious approval and pleased that we have the fine example of these pupils in Portree to show what is possible.

“Therefore I am delighted to have the opportunity to welcome them to Parliament this week to demonstrate their skills.

“Those are skills that anyone can learn and skills that can make the difference between life and death.”