The Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) has stated that they are supportive of training providers who may wish to omit practical teaching and assessment of rescue breaths in first aid training while coronavirus transmission rates are very high. 

RCUK are leaders in the field of CPR and HSE support their position on this for most First Aid at Work (EFAW) and Emergency First Aid at Work training courses.

Following our update in November highlighting port delays and unprecedented increases in worldwide freight charges, the team at Reliance Medical have been paying close attention to the cost of importing containers.  The normal cost to ship a container was around $1,600, recent quotations have exceeded $14,000.  Any distributors who themselves import goods will already be aware that costs have sadly still not fallen and currently show no signs of doing so.  For anyone who would like further information, there is a BBC article here:  

29th September 2018 – Revised 1st October 2020

Reliance Medical recognises its responsibilities within the supply chain and holds high expectations and requirements for all its suppliers and partners. We believe that it is important to operate in a socially responsible and ethical manner and have policies in place that support this position.

It is a requirement that our suppliers uphold the same principles. 

In 2013, Dutch automatic external defibrillator manufacturer DefiTeq, entered the UK market with its Telefunken AED.  Offering competitive price points and a simple user interface, the unit made a successful impression, and was adopted by a wide range of public and private sector organisations.  Fast-forward four years, and the cracks had started to show.

Many distributors across Europe had suspended their support for the AED, and DefiTeq subsequently withdrew their CE mark from the device. Some European health organisations, such as Ireland’s HPRA, went as far as to publish public safety notices against the Telefunken AED[1]; advising owners and users of the device to source an alternative product. We’re now midway through 2019, and there still has been no official guidance for UK based organisations and first responders who may still be holding Telefunken AED stock.  Is it time we followed suit?