Video promotes life-saving CPR by using 100 beats per minute hit song

A nurse is leading a campaign in Scotland to encourage more bystanders to carry out cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by using the tune of The Proclaimers hit song I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)

• Every year around 3,500 Scottish people have resuscitation attempted after cardiac arrest
• Currently just one in 20 survive
• In countries where bystander CPR is common, 20% survive a cardiac arrest

Save a Life for Scotland director Lisa MacInnes is behind a new music video which urges people to carry out rapid chest presses to cardiac arrest patients to the beat of The Proclaimers hit song I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles).

The film, which is supported by the Scottish Government, features Scottish TV presenter Carol Smillie who performs CPR to the tune of the anthemic song.

Bystander CPR

Previously, the Bee Gees' hit song Stayin' Alive has been used as an ideal tune to perform CPR to the song's around 100 beats per minute – the NHS recommended rate of chest compressions per 60 seconds. It featured in a TV campaign led by former footballer Vinnie Jones.

Ms MacInnes said The Proclaimer's song sticks to the 100 beats per minute, and bystanders performing CPR on someone who has arrested in the street should be able to reach the 500 in the song's title by the time an ambulance arrives.

‘The song is perfect for this because it takes a very serious subject and presents it in a fun and light-hearted way, which makes it memorable and helps raise awareness so much faster,' the critical care nurse told Nursing Standard.

‘The aim is to perform the presses to the rhythm of the song, but given the advice is usually to aim for around 100 presses per minute, people should be able to reach the 500 in the title by the time an ambulance arrives.

‘We already have several nurses attached to the campaign, either via the NHS or as volunteers, but the more who want to get involved the better.’

Aim for 500,000 to be trained by 2020

The music video, which was launched this week, is part of a wider campaign on 'bystander CPR' which aims to see 500,000 people in Scotland trained in the life-saving skill by 2020.

Every year around 3,500 Scottish people of all ages and backgrounds have resuscitation attempted after cardiac arrest. Currently only one in 20 survive.

In countries where bystander CPR is common, 20% of people survive following a cardiac arrest.

Ms MacInnes was chosen to coordinate the wider campaign – which launched three years ago – through her work as lead research nurse at Resuscitation Research Group Edinburgh.

'70 exta lives a year saved since we began'

She said: ‘Since we started the campaign bystander CPR has increased 10% in Scotland; currently we are at 200,000 of our 500,000 total.’

Ms MacInnes added: ‘We’ve already seen data suggesting 70 extra lives a year are being saved since we began.

‘We want to reach 1,000 a year by 2020.'

The new video has already become a hit on YouTube and social media, where it has been promoted by Ms Smillie on her Twitter account.

Scottish group The Proclaimer's are allowing the use of their song in their campaign for free.

Further information

• Save a Life for Scotland

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