'Military grade' bleed kits put in taxis

Taxi drivers in Merseyside are carrying "military grade" bandages as part of a scheme aiming to save lives after serious accidents or violent attacks.

The bleed kits, which already been installed in thousands of cabs across the UK, are being distributed in Liverpool for the first time.

Each kit contains the emergency bandages, based on a design intended for the battlefield, a built-in pressure pad and tourniquet and instructions for use.

The bandages, manufactured by the charity Rapaid, were donated to 50 taxis in Liverpool funded by a donation from Taxi insurance specialist Patons Insurance, which has a branch in the city.

Rapaid founder Alex Chivers said: "The bandages are designed to stem serious blood loss until help arrives. And when it comes to a haemorrhage, the quicker direct pressure is applied and treatment begins, the better your chances of survival.

"Time really does save lives."

The idea is that cabs carrying the Rapaid kits can be flagged down and the bandages can stop someone bleeding to death from a serious wound caused by an accident, fall or a stabbing.

Billy Hughes, manager of Metro Cabs, told BBC Radio Merseyside: "You often pass incidents, accidents where possibly they need bandages and with these cabs having them in they'll always be help for someone.

"If they need it to stop the bleeding, they can always flag one of our cabs down and take one of the bandages out."

Mr Hughes said the kits are "very easy" to use even for people with no training and work by stopping the bleeding rather than just soaking up blood.

Ben Smith, marketing team leader at Patons Insurance, said: "Obviously if we can get as many taxis on the roads in the cities that we're based in carrying these kits we're one step closer to changing and saving people's lives."

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