A first aid organisation based in Oxford that provided injury prevention instruction to schoolchildren has been dissolved by a local hospital trust following concerns about funding sustainability.
The Injury Minimisation Programme for Schools, known as IMPS, has ceased operations after more than three decades of offering training to year six students at primary schools throughout Oxfordshire regarding emergency response procedures.
The initiative was established by medical professionals from Oxford University Hospitals Foundation Trust in 1995 and throughout its existence delivered accident prevention and basic life support instruction to in excess of 115,000 young people.
The programme concluded despite persistent attempts by the organisation to identify alternative financial arrangements, as the trust determined that no viable long-term funding solution could be secured.
According to representatives of the charity, all surplus finances would be allocated by Oxford Hospitals Charity to initiatives supporting paediatric services.
The programme had earned recognition in 2013 when it received a bronze distinction from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.
At that time, operational costs were reported at approximately £100,000 annually.
Students participating in the scheme, who were typically between ten and eleven years of age, completed a structured curriculum consisting of four components delivered at their educational establishments alongside a visit to an accident and emergency department, supplemented by additional activities and assessment materials.
The instruction equipped young people with emergency response capabilities, self-assurance and an understanding of personal safety accountability.
Felicity Taylor-Drewe, the chief operating officer at OUH NHS Foundation Trust, explained that following an extensive consultation exercise, the decision had been reached to discontinue the programme in its existing format while investigating whether digital alternatives might prove viable.
She acknowledged that the news would prove disappointing for educational institutions, pupils and local communities who had benefited from the initiative, as well as for personnel directly affected by the change.
Taylor-Drewe expressed gratitude to those who had dedicated themselves to delivering the programme over many years and reaching thousands of children across Oxfordshire.
She noted that input gathered during the consultation had received careful consideration and that numerous potential approaches to future programme delivery had been thoroughly examined before reaching the final determination.
The trust indicated its commitment to assisting employees navigating the transition period.