New First Aid Guidelines
First Aid Has Changed: What the New First Aid Guidelines (2025) Mean for Your Workplace
In late 2025, the Resuscitation Council UK released new national guidelines for resuscitation and first aid. These are the most significant updates in years, and they’re being implemented into first aid training courses during 2025 and 2026 as awarding bodies update their syllabi.
If your team’s first aid training was completed before these updates, they may not yet have covered the changes. Here’s what’s new and what it means for your business.
The Biggest Change: First Aid Gets Its Own Chapter
For the first time, the Resuscitation Council UK guidelines include a dedicated chapter on first aid. Previously, first aid was treated as a subset of resuscitation guidance. Now it’s recognised as the essential first link in the chain of survival, with its own structured approach and clear expectations.
This is a big deal. First aid is finally being taken seriously at a national level, and your training courses will reflect that.
The ABCDE Approach
The biggest practical change is the introduction of a structured ABCDE approach to casualty assessment:
A: Airway. Is the airway open and clear?
B: Breathing. Is the person breathing normally?
C: Circulation. Is there life-threatening bleeding? Are there signs of shock?
D: Disability. What is their level of consciousness? Are they alert, responsive to voice, responsive to pain, or unresponsive?
E: Exposure. Are there any other injuries or conditions you need to check for?
This builds on the simpler ABC approach that many first aiders were trained on, adding Disability and Exposure to give a more thorough, more systematic framework to work through under pressure.
Life-Threatening Bleeding Gets Higher Priority
The new guidelines give life-threatening bleeding a much higher priority than before. First aiders will now learn to recognise catastrophic bleeds, apply direct pressure as the first response, and if that’s not sufficient, move to packing a wound or applying a tourniquet. Improvisation techniques are also covered.
This is a practical, real-world change that could save lives in workplaces where serious injuries are possible, including construction, manufacturing, hospitality kitchens, and events.
Other Key Changes
Jaw thrust technique. Emphasised for suspected spinal injuries as a way to open the airway while minimising neck movement.
Speakerphone guidance. First aiders are encouraged to put 999 on speakerphone and follow call handler instructions. This is now a formal part of the guidance.
Updated advice on specific conditions. Including anaphylaxis, stroke, asthma, hypoglycaemia, opioid overdose, drowning, heat stroke, hypothermia, and concussion.
Recognition of modern risks. The guidelines now acknowledge risks like opioid overdoses, reflecting changing patterns in emergency incidents.
Mental health recognition. For the first time, the new first aid chapter includes specific guidance on recognising and responding to someone who may be at risk of self-harm or suicide. First aid is no longer just about physical injuries.
Does My Team Need to Retrain?
If your team’s certificates are still valid, they don’t need to requalify immediately. First aid certificates last three years regardless of guideline updates.
However, the HSE strongly recommends annual refresher training. A refresher session is the perfect opportunity to update your team on the new guidelines, practise the ABCDE approach, and make sure everyone is current and confident.
When your team’s certificates do come up for renewal, their requalification course will include all the 2025 updates as standard.
What This Means for Your Business
These guidelines reinforce something we’ve always believed: first aid training isn’t a one-and-done exercise. It needs to be kept current. Things change, evidence evolves, and your team’s skills need to keep up.
If your first aiders haven’t had a refresher recently, now is the time. The 2025 guideline changes are significant enough to warrant an update, and a half-day refresher is a small investment in keeping your team capable and compliant.
Book a Refresher or Full Course
We deliver all our EFAW and FAW courses in line with the latest 2025 Resuscitation Council UK guidelines. We also offer half-day refresher sessions for teams whose certificates are still valid but who want to update their knowledge.
Or book a free 15-minute provision check to discuss what your team needs.
Get in touch:
07494 904698
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main first aid guideline changes in 2025?
The biggest changes include the new dedicated first aid chapter, the structured ABCDE approach to casualty assessment, a much stronger focus on life-threatening bleeding, and updated guidance such as jaw thrust for suspected spinal injuries, using speakerphone for 999 calls, and recognising mental health emergencies.
Do I need to retrain my first aiders?
Not immediately. Certificates are valid for three years. However, the HSE recommends annual refresher training, and a refresher is the ideal time to update on the new guidelines.
When will training courses include the new guidelines?
From early 2026 onwards, EFAW and FAW courses are being updated to reflect the 2025 guideline changes as awarding bodies roll them into their courses.
What is the ABCDE approach?
A structured framework for assessing casualties: Airway, Breathing, Circulation, Disability, Exposure. It gives first aiders a systematic way to identify and prioritise life-threatening conditions.
Have the first aid guidelines changed in 2026?
The guidelines were published by the Resuscitation Council UK in late 2025 and are being implemented into training courses from early 2026. If your team trained before these updates, a refresher session will bring them up to date.
First aid evolves. Your training should too. Stay current. Stay confident. Stay ready.
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