CPR in 2025: The Core Stays the Same – But the Details Have Evolved

17 Nov 2025

Published in: Member News
Calling 999 is now taught much earlier in the primary survey assessment

When someone collapses and stops breathing, the actions taken in the first few minutes can be the difference between life and death.  For decades, one message has remained absolutely clear: call 999, start CPR, and use a defibrillator as soon as possible.

If you’re asking “When do I call 999?”, the answer is simple: as soon as you find someone unresponsive. This essential step has not changed and remains the most critical action in any emergency. 

But with the release of the Resuscitation Council UK Guidelines 2025, the way we support, teach, and structure these core actions has evolved. While the fundamentals are still the same, the refinements introduced this year will significantly influence how schools, workplaces, and first aid providers prepare for emergencies.

As a training provider working across education, childcare, and business sectors, these refinements shape how we teach, and how organisations plan, equip, and respond.


Why the Core Principles Still Matter

No matter how guidance evolves, the basics remain the same. If you witness someone collapse and they are not breathing normally, you only need to remember three things:

  1. Call 999 immediately
  2. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest
  3. Use a defibrillator as soon as possible

These simple actions save lives. The 2025 guidelines reinforce that survival often depends on everyday people acting quickly, long before paramedics arrive.


So What’s New in 2025?

Although CPR itself hasn’t changed, the supporting guidance around it has been refined to make the process clearer, faster, and more effective.

1. Call 999 Immediately The guidance now emphasises calling 999 the moment you discover someone unresponsive. Previously, checking breathing came first. Now:

  • Call 999 straight away
  • The call handler will guide you through checking breathing
  • If CPR is needed, they will coach you step by step

This reduces delays and gets professional support to you faster.

2. AEDs Must Be Accessible and Visible The 2025 update places stronger responsibility on organisations to ensure defibrillators are:

  • Accessible 24/7
  • Clearly signposted
  • Registered on national AED databases
  • Maintained and checked regularly

A defibrillator can only save a life if people can reach it.

3. Modernised Training Methods

Training is shifting towards:

  • Scenario-based sessions
  • More hands-on practice
  • Confidence-building simulations
  • Simple, clear messaging

The goal is to reduce fear and hesitation, the biggest barriers to bystander CPR.

4. Broader First Aid Coverage A new, expanded first aid chapter now covers stroke, heart attack, hypoglycaemia, catastrophic bleeding, opioid overdose, heatstroke, hypothermia, and more, using the ABCDE approach to help first aiders assess systematically.

5. Paediatric Refinements Updates for those working with infants and children include new AED pad guidance, refined compression techniques, and clearer frameworks for recognising early deterioration.

6. A Focus on the Whole System The guidelines now emphasise the entire chain of survival, from bystander, to call handler, to ambulance crew, to hospital care. Organisations are encouraged to view themselves as active links in this system.


What This Means for Schools and Workplaces

Now is the time to:

  • Update first aid and CPR policies, 
  • Review AED access and registration
  • Refresh staff training
  • Check emergency procedures
  • Communicate AED locations clearly

How We’re Adapting Our Training

We are already updating all course materials to reflect the 2025 guidelines. From early 2026, every CPR, first aid at work, paediatric first aid, and school staff course will include the full updates. Our focus remains on practical, confidence-building training that feels realistic, not overwhelming.

The core actions remain the same: Call 999. Push hard and fast. Use an AED. But the world around those steps is improving.

These 2025 refinements are designed to make CPR simpler, faster, and more effective, and to help us save even more lives.


Read more here:

https://www.hmbtrainingservices.co.uk/latest-news/where-do-i-call-999-in-assessing-response

Submitted by Heather from HMB Training Services
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