It could happen to anyone. Recognise and respond. Save a life in football. Those are three messages from The FA as they promote a brand new, free ‘Sudden Cardiac Arrest’ E-Learning module which has been launched online to raise awareness and knowledge of how to respond in an emergency.
 
The module enables students to recognise, and react appropriately, to a sudden cardiac arrest while also providing key facts and information. It can be completed at a convenient time and place and only takes one hour. Successful completion will be rewarded with one hour of CPD (Continuing Professional Development) and an FA certificate.

Research shows twelve young people lose a life each week in the UK and those with an inherited heart condition can be up to three times as likely to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest if they participate in intensive or strenuous exercise. At least five fatalities occurred during matches or training in the last year in England due to cardiac arrest, including former England international Ugo Ehiogu, who died while working as a coach at Tottenham Hotspur FC.

Dr Lisa Hodgson, The FA’s medical education lead, said: “The FA is passionate about raising the awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and highlighting the fact that this can occur in what appears to essentially be, from the outside, a fit and healthy young person playing sport. Sudden cardiac arrest is infrequent but it is not a rare event.”

“The more awareness we can raise on this issue, the greater is the chance of early recognition and lifesaving intervention being performed. We’d like as many people as possible to complete this module and share it among their peers. Everyone should be taught these lifesaving skills in all walks of life - not just in sport - and we hope this module helps to do just that.”

Andrew Crowl, Coach Development Officer at the Essex County FA, added: “This type of online learning is brilliant because it’s more convenient for peoples’ busy schedules. This module is fully interactive and learners are guided through how they should recognise, and respond to, a sudden cardiac arrest. It could happen to anybody and this helps to prepare people for those unfortunate circumstances, which happen far too often.”

Take the module online by clicking here or browse the #Coaches' section above to find out more about other grassroots football coaching courses and workshops. Information is also shared by following @EssexCountyFA on Twitter and by searching for ‘EssexFootball’ on Facebook.