Teen saved by CPR wants the skill taught at school

Ollie Rosenwould brought the LAS to his school to teach the skills that saved his life

A teenager whose life was saved by paramedics performing CPR has said he wanted to see the skill taught in London's schools.

In May, 17-year-old Ollie Rosenwould was sent home from sixth form in Dagenham, east London - where he was preparing for his A-levels - as he felt unwell.

Despite resting for a while, he told his mum he needed an ambulance before collapsing in a cardiac arrest.

A rapid response paramedic arrived within minutes to administer CPR - now they have demonstrated the life-saving skills during a class at the Jo Richardson Community School, where Ollie also had a chance to thank them.

Ollie, centre, and his parents met the paramedics who performed CPR following his cardiac arrest

Ollie told BBC London he was "living proof it can happen to anyone anywhere" and he would like to see CPR become a mandatory skill learned within schools.

The teenager was discharged from hospital after 22 days after doctors found he had suffered a Bilateral Tension Pneumothorax.

His mother Donna told the Resuscitation Council UK in October that she would "never be able to un-see" her son having CPR the day he collapsed, but she also knows "he would not be here today with such a bright future if it wasn't for the paramedics".

Paramedic Sam Palfrey Jones says the LAS has rolled out CPR lessons to about 200 schools

The London Ambulance Service (LAS) currently has a scheme where it teaches lifesaving skills to school students.

Paramedic Sam Palfrey Jones said nearly 20,000 people across London, in more than 200 schools, have received the training.

She said: "It's fantastic.

"We need to teach it to children because they're the age where they will take it home, they will teach their parents, they will teach all of their friends and they will keep that skill for life."