A new scheme that could save the lives of people who have been stabbed has been launched in Birmingham City Centre.

Fifty ‘Bleed Control Kits’ will be sited at locations thanks to work by the Birmingham Community Safety Partnership (BCSP) which has been working with campaigner Lynne Baird, of The Daniel Baird Foundation and West Midlands Ambulance Service.  

The BCSP received £4,000 from the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner to purchase the kits. The Daniel Baird Foundation was set up by his family after he was fatally stabbed while out with friends in Birmingham in July 2017. Daniel died shortly after arriving at hospital due to catastrophic bleeding.

Patients suffering catastrophic bleeds from serious injuries such as those caused by a stabbing, shooting or car accident can prove fatal in as little as three to five minutes if the bleeding is not stemmed. Trauma Lead for West Midlands Ambulance Service, Shane Roberts, said:

“The idea behind the bleed control kits is to buy the first vital minutes before ambulance staff can reach the scene. The kits have a number of items that could make a difference.  

"These include things like a tourniquet, haemostatic gauze and a chest seal. The reality is that having someone take action in situations when a patient has been stabbed, shot or even suffered a catastrophic bleed from a road traffic collision could make the difference.  

"Getting help in those first few minutes could save a life.”