A FORMER Bolton teacher will publish a book later this year which seeks to educate children on what to do in medical emergencies.

Malcolm Sweetlove, former head of special needs at Bolton's Withins School, is in the final stages of publishing Greenbank Primary: First Aid Brought To Life. 

The book, which will hit the shelves in June, aims to teach children as young as nine how to give first aid in a medical emergency - including simple actions that could help people recover from seizures, asthma attacks and cardiac arrests.

It is a narrative non-fiction that tells a story of a town called Humphrington, a school called Greenbank Primary and the Matthews family, giving real life scenarios for readers to work through.

Malcolm, who lives in Ramsbottom, said: "Given that success rates in the UK for survival outside of hospital for cardiac arrest are below 10 per cent, there is a need for knowledge - especially at a young age.

"In countries that invest in training young children in life saving skills, survival rates are far better than the UK.

"This book aims for improvement."

Malcolm's first CPR was his friend John at the age of 18 who went into cardiac arrest after an incident in a rugby match.

Since then, he has saved a number of lives and is now a life support trainer in the NHS and runs a successful first aid training company.

He has also helped deliver the clinical skills programme at University of Manchester Medical School, and is now in training to be a first responder for North West Ambulance Service.

The book has also received celebrity endorsement, with Sir Alex Ferguson applauding Malcolm's approach to teaching the fundamentals of First Aid to primary school children.

He said: "The stories are exciting as well as informative, and being told through the teachers and pupils of a School is a perfect way to introduce and educate young children the importance of life skills training.

"I think that all youngsters would love to be part of a school community like Greenbank."

The other mission of the book is to make learning fun, with activities at the end of each chapter to help children consolidate their learning.

The fictional characters tell real stories, and Malcolm wants the book to be a resource to teachers.

He added: "All too often people have a view of first aid as being boring, stuffy and not particularly engaging.

"I really do hope that this book makes a contribution to children's knowledge and interest in life saving.

"As adults, to not have the same level of fear and to be armed with skills to tackle life threatening events is something to aim for."