FIRST aiders in the North- East fear that the gloom surrounding the economy could be putting people off potentially life-saving refresher courses.

St John Ambulance is urging first aiders in the region to consider taking an annual course to refresh their skills.

But officials fear the £55-ahead fee – for a half-day course – may be putting businesses off when times are hard.

Despite training more than 22,000 people in first aid in the North-East in the past year only a fraction are returning for vital refresher courses.

The worst affected is North Yorkshire and Teesside where only 220 (4.3 per cent) out of the 5,065 trained a year ago have signed up for a refresher.

In County Durham, only 124 out of 2,097 who were given first aid training a year ago have come back for more, that is just 5.9 per cent.

Things are only slightly better in Tyneside, Wearside and Northumberland, where 313 out of 3,683 have signed up, that is 8.4 per cent.

Failure to take a refresher could mean individuals risk struggling to remember what they need to do in an emergency.

The Health & Safety Executive strongly recommends that first aiders attend a refresher course every 12 months to ensure they remember their life-saving skills.

Best practice can also change, last year new advice was issued on cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

Graham Henry, regional Director for St John Ambulance in the North-East, said: “Most people who take part in a refresher course are relieved to be given the chance to practise without the stress of a real life emergency. About 150,000 people die every year because of a lack of first aid, so these really are important skills to have and to keep up to date.”

Mike Nye, regional marketing manager for St John Ambulance in the North-East said he thought the economic situation “was probably a factor”

in the poor take-up.

Anyone who takes the three-day first aid at work course gets the refresher free a year later. Those who do the one-day course get the refresher course at half-price.

Subsequent refreshers cost £55.

For more details, call 0844- 770-4800.