First aid

A little girl about to pull a hot saucepan off the stove and is in danger of burning herself.

Why burns are so common in babies and children

Find out why burns are a common injury for babies and children and what causes them.

content type Article estimated reading time 3 minutes
A young woman holds her head in pain while surrounded by other students.

Students: are you sure that's freshers flu and not meningitis?

Make sure you can tell the difference, so that you can stay safe and help a friend if they start to feel unwell.

content type Article estimated reading time 3 minutes
A little boy aims a water pistol at the camera.

Beat the hot weather: top tips for staying cool

How to cope with heat: Learn how to keep cool in a heatwave with our top tips for cooling yourself down in hot weather.

content type Article estimated reading time 2 minutes
An illustration from a British Red Cross blog showing a child with a sprain, another with a fever and another with a bump on the head.

First aid first: how to help your child before going to A&E

Not sure whether to take your child to A&E? Need first aid advice? We're here to help.

content type Article estimated reading time 4 minutes
A yellow and black acid burn warning sign, showing illustrations of corrosive liquid and a damaged hand, with the world 'corrosive' in big letters.

First aid for acid burns

With the number of acid attacks on the rise, here's how to help someone who has a chemical or acid burn.

content type Article estimated reading time 2 minutes
Vikki Stow, her husband and daughter Tamzin, who Vikki gave first aid to after she burned herself

A mother's story: how first aid helped after a baby's burn

Vikki recalls the time her baby daughter got badly burned. Luckily, her husband had recently taken our first aid course and knew just what to do.

content type Article estimated reading time 4 minutes
A man and a baby look at something in a stream on a family day out

First aid for family days out

As summer finally brings warm and sunny weather, here's how to keep your family safe in the great outdoors.

content type Article estimated reading time 3 minutes
A mother hugs and kisses her daughter as they both hold sparklers.

First aid for burns: keep safe when using fireworks

Simple first aid skills for keeping safe around fireworks

content type Article estimated reading time 2 minutes
Someone wearing gardening gloves and holding a pot plant while kneeling by a watering can.

First aid for gardening pros

The nature of gardening tools and prickly plants means people can get hurt. So learning a little first aid doesn’t hurt at all...

content type Article estimated reading time 3 minutes
A thermometer on a very hot day, showing a very high temperature.

First aid for heatwaves

Hotter summers mean heatwaves and an increased risk of heatstroke. Here's what to look out for.

content type Article estimated reading time 3 minutes
Children from Ark Oval Primary Academy School in South London practise first aid on dummies on the lawn in front of the UK Houses of Parliament.

First aid in school: saving lives is on the curriculum

After years of Red Cross campaigns, the government added first aid to the curriculum in 2019

content type Article estimated reading time 3 minutes
A red lifebuoy floating in open water from a British Red Cross blog about drowning in open water

Staying safe around water

While most open water swims are safe and fun, here are five things to know about drowning, so you can help someone if they get into difficulty.

content type Article estimated reading time 4 minutes