Hastings to get life-saving bleed control kits installed in town - this is where

The Safer Hastings Partnership has funded four bleed control kits for the town.

The equipment designed to prevent catastrophic blood loss while waiting for the paramedics to arrive.

The first cabinet was installed on the wall of Lloyds Bank in Wellington Place yesterday (Wednesday, November 15), with the other three due to be installed shortly, the council said.

These will be located in Norman Road, St Leonards, at the junction of London Road on the Post Office wall, George Street on the wall at Butlers Gap, next to the Old Town notice board, and Havelock Road outside Lacuna Place/Tesco Express.

The kits contain vital life-saving equipment, including dressings, chest seals, tourniquets, gloves, and scissors, enabling members of the public to help stem bleeding in the minutes after an incident.

To access the kit, people should call 999, and a call operator will provide an access code. They will then provide instructions on how to use its contents.

The council said these four new cabinets are due to tireless campaigning by Carl Scott, co-founder and manager of Project Youth Official, who in May organised the installation of the first bleed control kit in the county at Queens Square, Priory Meadow Shopping Centre.

Businesses are invited to attend training on how to use these kits at Muriel Matters House on Friday, November 17, from noon to 2pm. Businesses can register their interest by contacting [email protected].

Cllr Judy Rogers, lead for community safety at Hastings Borough Council, said: “These cabinets have been installed across the country and contain vital life-saving equipment that helps to stem extreme blood loss before ambulance crews arrive. As a partnership, we are grateful to have been able to fund these new cabinets. We hope they are never needed, but if they are, they could make a huge difference to the outcome.

“I have been pleased to work with partners to promote and make this project happen and would like to thank Carl Scott, co-founder of Project Youth Official, who has dedicated so much time and energy to bringing these kits to Hastings, helping to make our community a safer place.

“If you are a business owner or employee located near the cabinets, please come along to the training on how to use these kits, as this could save someone’s life.”

Carl said: “We are dedicated to keeping our community as safe as possible whether that be young people or adults and having these cabinets in our town would give someone a fighting chance of survival if they were to be unfortunate enough to have a serious injury. We would like to thank Hastings Borough Council and Sussex Police for supporting us through this journey.”

Sergeant Rob Hart, Sussex Police’s force co-ordinator, Operation Safety (Knife crime and serious violence), added: “Partnership working is vital in reaching and engaging with our communities across Sussex and we are pleased to work with Project Youth Official, the local council, and all other members of the Safer Hastings Partnership.

“Reducing serious violence is a police priority and we are continually working to tackle this. Knife crime has tragic consequences and leaves a devastating impact in its wake, affecting victims, loved ones, and whole communities.

“The bleed kits provide the local community with the tools to prevent catastrophic blood loss in a variety of situations and could save lives.”