Life-saving bleed kits get go-ahead from council… eventually
Meetings have taken place
Councillors have voted unanimously to fund 100 life-saving bleed kits to save the lives of seriously injured residents.
But the path to resolution was far from smooth.
Cllr Boaz Barry (Westbury North, Reform UK) said his motion “could save someone’s life.”
“Catastrophic bleeding can kill within minutes,” he said. “Between injury, an ambulance arrival, a bystander with the right kit can save a life.”
And he insisted bleed kits were about more than stabbings: “When people hear bleed control kits, they often think knife crime. And yes, that’s part of it.
“We’ve seen the heartbreak of losing a teenager in Chippenham in recent months.
“It’s a tragedy that reminds us of why this matters, why we need to be ready for when the worst happens. And the story is much broader.
He explained: “In a Somerset, where kits have been deployed, they have 14 confirmed lives saved. So far, only four were linked to knives.
“The other 10 falls, workplace accidents, traffic collisions, or just freak accidents.”
He asked the council to purchase “100 wall-mounted bleed kits for our leisure centres, libraries, council buildings, and transport hubs alongside secondary schools and college campuses where opt-in arrangements would be offered.”
When someone calls 999 with a major bleed, the call handler can direct them to the nearest kit in real time using a national mapping system.
Cllr Barry said: “Wiltshire Police have committed to handling all ongoing maintenance, inspections, and replacements of the kits.
“Once we’ve made the initial capital investment, the kits stay fully operational at no further cost to this council.”
He described the request as “a modest ask with a profound outcome – £23,000 to save lives.”
The Liberal Democrat-led cabinet seemed set to oppose the motion on procedural grounds.
Public health portfolio holder Clare Cape pointed out that knife crime in Wiltshire was very rare and insisted that the matter of funding went to scrutiny, and that locations should be determined by town and parish councils.
She said she could not support the motion.