Transport for London (TfL) has rejected a proposal from the London Assembly to roll out lifesaving bleed control kits in all major bus stations and on selected routes. The decision has been heavily criticised, especially by Reform UK members.
Assembly Motion Unanimously Passed
In March, Assembly members unanimously passed a motion calling on TfL to work with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to ensure the kits, which stem bleeding from deep wounds or stabs before emergency services arrive, are available. The proposal also called for training to be rolled out across the transport network, including first aid training for bus drivers and frontline staff, to ensure confidence in responding to catastrophic bleeding emergencies.
TfL Commissioner's Response
However, TfL Commissioner Andy Lord has now rejected the proposal outright, claiming that the body is following NHS guidance which suggests standard first aid kits are sufficient for such incidents. In a letter to London Assembly Chair Andrew Boff, he wrote: "The NHS also highlights that the effective use of bleed kits requires appropriate training and there is a risk of significant harm if tourniquets, which are usually included in bleed kits, are not used correctly. The NHS recommends that the most important and effective bystander intervention is to apply continuous direct pressure to the site of bleeding and call 999 immediately."
He added: "Based on this expert advice, we are not currently planning to roll out or promote bleed kits across our network but we continue to keep our position under review in response to expert advice. All TfL stations and staffed bus stations are equipped with first aid kits. We continue to keep the further provision of first aid kits and other equipment, including bleed kits, under review, taking into account any changes to the NHS's national or London-wide guidance."
Campaigners and Assembly Members React
The decision has been heavily criticised by both campaigners and Assembly Members. Dr Lynne Baird MBE, founder of the Daniel Baird Foundation and a staunch advocate of bleed kits after her son was fatally stabbed in 2017, rejected Mr Lord's arguments. She said: "People don't need to be trained to use them - training is certainly useful but it's not needed. They are very simple and straightforward - and if not, the emergency services will be able to talk you through it. I'm sure the London Ambulance Service could handle it. Many other public transport methods have put these into operation. They would be an essential addition to all buses. First aid kits alone are just not good enough."
Elly Baker, the Labour Assembly Member who proposed the motion, said: "I'm really disappointed that TfL has chosen to reject this motion. This was a clear and practical proposal brought forward by the London Youth Assembly, and we need to ensure that the views of young Londoners on what would make them feel safer are always taken into account. However, it is encouraging that the general use of bleed kits will continue to be reviewed, taking into account any changes in national NHS or London-wide guidance. I will continue to press TfL on this matter."
Reform UK Criticism
Reform UK Assembly Member Keith Prince, who campaigned for and oversaw the installation of a bleed kit at Ardleigh Green College in Hornchurch which saved the life of an 18-year-old in 2023, said: "I have experienced first-hand how bleed kits save people's lives. In the case of the horrendous stabbing at Ardleigh Green College, that young man is still with us today because there was a bleed kit on hand, a bleed kit I'm very proud to have campaigned for. For Andy Lord to dismiss bleed kits out of hand despite the mountain of real-world evidence proving how useful they are is frankly infuriating and he ought to seriously reflect on his position."
Alex Wilson AM, Leader of Reform UK on the London Assembly, added: "It's insulting to all Londoners that Andy Lord won't accept that bleed kits work and carry out the necessary actions to install them at major transport hubs. Having met with the families of those who've sadly lost their lives to knife crime, I know that, in many cases, death is preventable by having the right tools on hand in those crucial minutes after the unthinkable happens. In the West Midlands, this is understood and accepted, which is why bleed kits are readily available in public areas – London should not be behind on this. It's because of Sadiq Khan's poor governance that we are seeing more and more knife offences and he needs to come clean and admit that."
Background
Hundreds of bleed control kits have been rolled out across the West Midlands in recent years, but they have not been adopted en masse in the capital. In 2024, when questioned by Mr Prince on the issue, the Mayor of London said specialist kits were "not essential" for bleed control and said the NHS strongly advocated for basic first aid training, including bleed control.
