About Us
We have been providing high-quality lifesaving training for over 35 years, turning passive bystanders into confident lifesavers through practical, expert-led education.
Who we are
We are a small organisation focusing on delivering concise yet comprehensive basic life support and AED courses, with the aim of making vital lifesaving skills accessible to everyone.
We have a team of around 15 trainers who are either fully qualified or trainee healthcare professionals such as doctors or nurses and who teach our courses in their spare time. They are passionate about using their medical knowledge and enthusiasm for teaching to ensure our clients leave our courses knowing exactly what to do in a medical emergency.
Our history
Bart’s City Life Saver was founded in 1986 by Dr David Skinner, a consultant in emergency medicine who, at the time, was working as a senior registrar in the emergency department at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London.
Dr Skinner’s role involved responding to patients who had collapsed with chest pain. When he arrived on scene he often found that bystanders wanted to help before the ambulance arrived but didn’t know what to do.
Drawing on his experience, he knew that early cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) followed by early defibrillation dramatically improved survival for patients in cardiac arrest.
With this in mind and with financial support from cardiologist Professor John Camm, Dr Skinner set up Bart’s City Life Saver, an initiative to teach simple lifesaving skills to members of the public.
Since launch, our work and reach have grown significantly and we have trained thousands of people.
With the introduction of defibrillators into public spaces, it was an obvious step to add training in how to use a defibrillator to our courses. We also began offering training in baby and child resuscitation, and we have developed and refined our training methods to include scenario based simulation training.
Whilst no longer based at St Bartholomew’s Hospital or part of the ‘Barts family’, the name ‘Bart’s City Life Saver’ represents an important link to the charity’s origins and we continue our valuable work, providing some of the best lifesaving training available in London.
Our purpose
At Bart’s City Life Saver, our goal has always been simple: to turn passive bystanders into active lifesavers when faced with an emergency. We teach people to:
- Recognise the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and call for help;
- Effectively support and reassure the individual whilst waiting for help to arrive;
- Manage a casualty if they collapse and become unconscious;
- Provide basic life support in the event of cardiac arrest.
Our training builds not only technical competence but also the confidence and empathy needed to act effectively under pressure. We aim for every participant to leave feeling empowered with the skills to save a life.