💥 Campaign Overview – Haffenden Training Solutions 

At Haffenden Training Solutions, we’re launching a campaign to make it a legal requirement for all first aid training providers in the UK to include female-presenting CPR manikins alongside the standard male ones. Why? Because training shapes response — and right now, the training doesn't reflect real life. 
 
🫀 The Problem                                                                                                 Research consistently shows that women are less likely than men to receive CPR in public settings: 
55%–73% of men receive bystander CPR 
Only 52%–68% of women receive bystander CPR 
Women are more likely to receive CPR at home, but not where it's often most urgent — in public 

One key reason? The training bias. 
 Most CPR manikins used today are male-bodied, which can lead to unconscious hesitation, discomfort, or uncertainty in real emergencies — especially when the patient is female. 

A 2023 St John Ambulance study revealed that 1 in 3 men fear being accused of inappropriate touching when giving chest compressions to a woman. That fear is amplified by the fact that learners rarely, if ever, practice CPR on a body that looks female. 
 
⚠️ Heart Attack Symptoms: Women vs Men 
Another critical issue: Symptoms are not always the same. Most people are taught to recognise the “classic” signs of a heart attack — chest pain, arm pain — which are more common in men. Women’s symptoms are often subtler and misinterpreted. 

Common Heart Attack Symptoms in Men: 
Crushing chest pain 
Pain radiating down the left arm 
Shortness of breath 
Sweating 

Common Symptoms in Women: 
Unusual fatigue (often days or weeks in advance) 
Nausea or vomiting 
Pain in the back, neck, jaw, or stomach 
Shortness of breath 
Light-headedness or dizziness 
Chest pressure (not always “crushing pain”) 

These differences lead to delays in recognising cardiac events in women, and lower survival rates. If training doesn’t reflect these realities, it continues the cycle of misdiagnosis and inaction. 
 
📢 Our Goal: Equality in Emergency Response 

We’re calling for legislation that requires: 
All accredited first aid training providers to include both male and female-presenting CPR manikins in their courses. 

This simple change will: 
Normalise CPR on all body types 
Reduce unconscious hesitation or fear 
Help close the gender gap in cardiac survival rates 
Educate learners on all symptoms — not just the ones associated with male bodies 
 
💡 Why This Matters 
Representation in training leads to confidence in response. 
Every second counts in cardiac arrest — hesitation can be fatal. 
Everyone deserves an equal chance of survival, regardless of gender. 
Having a female presenting CPR manikin is a first and basic step but we would like to go further in the future and create additional manikins for plus size representation.