Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) is the national professional body responsible for developing, publishing, and promoting evidence-based guidelines for resuscitation and first aid in the United Kingdom. It provides education and training resources for both healthcare professionals and members of the public, and works to improve survival rates from cardiac arrest across the UK.
What RCUK does
Key activities of Resuscitation Council UK include:
- Publishing the UK resuscitation guidelines, which are based on the international consensus on resuscitation science produced by the International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation (ILCOR) and adapted for the UK context
- Developing and accrediting resuscitation training courses including Basic Life Support (BLS), Advanced Life Support (ALS), Immediate Life Support (ILS), Newborn Life Support (NLS), and Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
- Providing quality standards for resuscitation practice in NHS and other healthcare settings
- Supporting public CPR awareness and the expansion of public access defibrillation
- Funding research into resuscitation and post-resuscitation care
RCUK and the public
RCUK provides free CPR training guidance and resources for members of the public through its website, including instructional videos covering hands-only CPR and the use of AEDs. It supports campaigns to increase CPR training rates across the UK.
The guidelines
The RCUK guidelines are updated periodically to reflect the latest evidence. They cover all aspects of resuscitation including basic life support, advanced cardiac life support, post-resuscitation care, and special circumstances. Healthcare professionals working in resuscitation are expected to practice in line with these guidelines.
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