Healthcare teams in Altrincham work across a range of settings. GP surgeries, dental practices, care homes, community clinics, and private healthcare practices all serve the local population, and the professionals working in these settings come from different clinical backgrounds with different day-to-day responsibilities. What they share is a need to be able to respond when a patient's condition deteriorates rapidly. That is where life support training comes in.
The challenge for many Altrincham healthcare teams is knowing which life support course is right for their staff. Basic Life Support and enhanced Immediate Life Support cover different levels of skill, and choosing the right one depends on the clinical role, the setting, and the level of intervention the professional is expected to provide.
We are PCT Services, and we deliver Resuscitation Council UK accredited life support training from our training centre at First Floor, 2 Queen Street in Northwich, about a 30 minute drive from Altrincham. We also deliver on-site training at healthcare settings across the area.
Basic Life Support: the foundation for every healthcare professional
Basic Life Support is the course that every member of a healthcare team should complete. It covers the recognition of cardiac arrest, high-quality chest compressions, rescue breathing, the use of an automated external defibrillator, and the management of choking in adults.
BLS is a two hour course, and it is designed as an annual refresher. Whether you are a receptionist at a GP surgery, a dental nurse, a care assistant, or a senior clinician, BLS gives you the skills to keep a patient alive until more advanced help arrives. It is the first link in the chain of survival, and it needs to be practised regularly to stay sharp.
For dental practices in Altrincham, BLS is a CQC requirement. The General Dental Council expects all members of the dental team to maintain current BLS skills, and inspectors will check that training is up to date. For GP surgeries and care homes, BLS is equally essential and is expected as part of routine clinical governance.
Our BLS course follows the latest Resuscitation Council UK guidelines, uses high-quality manikins with real-time feedback, and is delivered by experienced healthcare educators.
Basic Life Support Training (BLS)
This Basic Life Support course provides essential knowledge and practical skills to competently recognise a cardiac arrest and commence basic life support in adults, children and infants. It also covers safe application of an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator), how to use a pocket mask, administration of oxygen, and the initial assessment and management of anaphylaxis.
Northwich Training Centre, Northwich
Fully booked · 3 dates available
Enhanced Immediate Life Support: for those who need to do more
eILS goes beyond basic life support. It is designed for healthcare professionals who may need to initiate more advanced interventions before a resuscitation team or paramedics arrive. This includes the use of airway adjuncts, bag-valve-mask ventilation, recognition and initial management of peri-arrest arrhythmias, and a structured approach to the deteriorating patient.
The eILS course costs £180 per person and is a full day of training that combines e-learning with practical, simulation-based scenarios.
In an Altrincham GP surgery, the clinicians and practice nurses are the people most likely to need eILS. If a patient collapses in the waiting room or deteriorates during a consultation, the clinical team needs to be able to manage the situation with more than just chest compressions and an AED. eILS gives them the skills to maintain an airway, ventilate effectively, and begin a structured approach to resuscitation while waiting for the ambulance.
In a dental practice, the dentist and senior dental nurses benefit from eILS because sedation and surgical procedures carry a small but real risk of serious adverse events. Being able to manage a compromised airway and recognise a peri-arrest rhythm is directly relevant to clinical dental practice.
In care homes, the senior nurses and clinical leads who are responsible for managing medical emergencies among elderly, often frail residents will benefit from the enhanced skills that eILS provides. Residents in care homes can deteriorate quickly, and the response time for an ambulance in an area like Altrincham can vary. Having staff who can manage the situation beyond basic CPR makes a real difference to outcomes.
Immediate Life Support Training (eILS)
The Immediate Life Support course is a specialised course designed to equip healthcare professionals with a variety of skills, from managing a deteriorating adult, identifying causes of deterioration and treating cardiorespiratory arrest in adults, to developing team leadership skills and understanding what it takes to be an effective team member in an emergency.
Northwich Training Centre, Northwich
Fully booked
Building a life support training plan for your team
The most effective approach for Altrincham healthcare teams is a layered one. Every member of the team completes BLS annually. This ensures that no matter who is present when an emergency happens, someone can start effective resuscitation immediately.
On top of that, the clinical staff, the people with the training and responsibility to provide a higher level of care, complete eILS. This gives your team the ability to escalate beyond basic life support when the situation demands it.
For a GP surgery with eight staff members, that might mean all eight do BLS and the three clinicians also do eILS. For a dental practice with five team members, it might mean all five do BLS and the dentist and senior nurse also do eILS. For a care home with twenty staff, it might mean everyone does BLS and the four or five senior nurses do eILS.
This layered approach is what the Resuscitation Council UK recommends. It ensures broad competence across the whole team and deeper capability among those most likely to lead a resuscitation.
How we deliver the training
We run scheduled BLS and eILS courses throughout the year at our training centre at First Floor, 2 Queen Street in Northwich. Check the live dates on our Basic Life Support page and our eILS page.
For healthcare teams in Altrincham who want to train together, we also deliver on-site training at your practice, surgery, or care home. This is often the most practical option for BLS refreshers because it means the whole team can train in a single session without anyone having to travel.
On-site BLS training also has the advantage of using your own environment. We can discuss where your AED is located, what your emergency procedures are, and how your team should coordinate during a real event. That context makes the training more immediately relevant and more likely to translate into effective action.
Book your training
If you are a healthcare professional or a practice manager in Altrincham, check the upcoming dates on our course pages and book your team's places. Or give us a call on 07958 915146 to discuss on-site delivery or to work out which courses your team needs.
Life support skills are perishable. Regular training is not a luxury. It is a professional responsibility that protects your patients and your team.
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