Richmond Pharmacology, one of the UK’s leading first-in-human clinical trials companies, has just trained a first group of six taxi drivers to deliver cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) aimed at saving the lives of their passengers.

The six drivers are all from London Airport Taxis which is used by Richmond to ferry patients from all over the country to and from their clinical trials at the research organisation’s London Bridge clinical centre. Richmond intends to offer CPR training to all 30 London Airport Taxis drivers who transport patients involved in clinical trials.

Richmond specialises in trials of gene editing drugs that might provide life-changing new treatments for rare diseases. Many of the patients coming to the clinic are elderly and some have heart disease, making it all the more important that they are well-cared for not just at the clinic itself but door-to-door.

The training, which was based on Resuscitation Council UK 2021 guidelines, was led by Richmond’s Head of Acute Clinical Management, Carolina Pacheco De Amorim, a former intensive care nurse, who trained the group in chest compressions and the use of an AED (automated external defibrillator).

Taxi driver Mark Limrick completes his training under the eye of instructor Carolina Pacheco De Amorim

placeholder image — Taxi driver Mark Limrick completes his training under the eye of instructor Carolina Pacheco De Amorim

Ms Pacheo De Amorim told the group that using the AED for defibrillation within three minutes of collapse can produce survival rates as high as 50-70%. In contrast, every minute of waiting time after cardiac arrest, without CPR taking place, reduces survival chances by 10%.

She said: “Here at Richmond we have a close relationship with the taxi drivers who transfer our clinical trial participants, so it is very important to us that they know how to act in case of an emergency. These life-saving skills can make such a difference if someone goes into cardiac arrest and we plan to offer refresher courses so that the drivers can keep up their skills and confidence.”

Paul Mulholland, a taxi driver with 32 years’ experience who completed the Richmond training, said that in the past he had been involved in a couple of emergency situations which had ended positively because other people had helped.

“The training was very informative, really thorough and a bit of an eye-opener. I found the whole thing very clear, and I feel more confident now in delivering this basic first aid. I think it’s vital if you’re taking patients. You’ve got to have that background basic knowledge, and it’s great that Richmond is supplying it.”

AEDs are very easy to use as they give clear, voiced instructions and can be found in stations, libraries, supermarkets and public phone boxes. The British Heart Foundation provides a free online 15-minute course on CPR - Learn CPR in 15 minutes | RevivR | BHF - BHF.