Sam Gyimah MP has announced new life-saving requirements for nursery staff to be trained in paediatric first aid. The announcement was made by Mr Gyimah in his capacity as Minister for Education and Childcare, following his appointment in the reshuffle of July last year.  

A review into nursery first aid training was launched by the Department for Education in the wake of the tragic death of Millie Thompson who died following a choking incident at her nursery in 2012. Her parents, Joanne and Dan Thompson, have since campaigned for the law to be changed, which culminated in an e-petition signed by over 103,000 people.

The proposals announced by Mr Gyimah will mean that all newly qualified nursery staff must have emergency paediatric first aid training. This life-saving change will add approximately 15,000 additional trained early years professionals working in nurseries and pre-schools each year. Furthermore, nurseries with 100 per cent trained first aid staff will be able to display a new certificate, to be known as ‘Millie’s Mark.’ This will enable parents to be sure that their children are being cared for by safe and knowledgeable staff.

Mr Gyimah said:  “As a parent myself, I know that every mum and dad wants the confidence that those tasked with caring for their child have the right training should the absolute worst happen.

“These proposals will mean that thousands more staff will be able to respond to emergencies more quickly, making sure parents really can access the very best possible childcare choices for their families.

“Not only will this help ensure children are safe while they learn, grow and develop, but it will also raise the quality and skills of the early years workforce to help them deal with day-to-day first aid issues, such as allergies and knowing when to call parents.”