KnifeSavers and Merseyside Schools Train 2,200 Pupils in Life-Saving Bleed Control

Schools across Merseyside came together to deliver Stop the Bleed Day 2026. 

The national day of action provided young people with vital, life-saving skills, with 13 secondary schools across the region taking part. 

Around 2,200 pupils learned how to recognise and respond to a life-threatening bleed as part of a wider effort to empower young people with the confidence to act in an emergency.

Stop the Bleed Day focuses on simple, practical techniques that can make the difference between life and death following serious injury, accidents, or violence. 

Injury remains the leading cause of death among children and young adults under 40, and uncontrolled bleeding is identified as the single most preventable cause of death following trauma.

Practical Training for Emergencies

Throughout the day, pupils engaged in short training sessions designed to fit into the school timetable. 

These sessions taught students how to recognise a life-threatening bleed, apply direct pressure correctly, pack a wound, and improvise a tourniquet.

The initiative in Merseyside is supported by the Merseyside Violence Reduction Partnership (MVRP), working alongside partners KnifeSavers, citizenAID, and the Greater Manchester Violence Reduction Unit (GMVRU). 

KnifeSavers founder and consultant trauma surgeon Nikhil Misra, based at Aintree University Hospital, noted that the organisation was founded on the belief that anyone can save a life with the right knowledge. 

He stated that the response from Merseyside schools shows how engaged and capable young people are when given these opportunities.

A Focus on Early Intervention

Nigel Barraclough, Paramedic and National Project Lead for Stop the Bleed Day, highlighted the urgency of the training, noting that a person can bleed out in less than five minutes.

 He explained that by empowering young people with these tools today, schools are equipping them to save lives when every second counts.

Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner Emily Spurrell said:

“Early intervention is at the heart of everything we do, and Stop the Bleed Day is a powerful example of prevention in action. 

“By teaching young people practical, life-saving skills, we are not only preparing them for emergencies but also helping them understand the real-life consequences of violence in a safe and constructive way.”

The training is provided free to schools, with the national ambition of training tens of thousands of young people in a single day. 

Today’s participation reflects a collective commitment across Merseyside to equip young people with skills they may one day need to save a life.