WATCHING his father die from a heart attack at the age of 52 has spurred North Swindon MP Justin Tomlinson to get emergency lifesaving skills on the national curriculum.

Justin was just 12 when his dad Paul had a heart attack. Paul had gone to a shop and took longer than expected.

Justin was the first person to find his dad and attempted to save his life, before passers-by called an ambulance and he was taken to hospital. Unfortunately he died later.

The MP’s grandfather also died of a heart attack at the age of 56 and his uncle died at 58.

This week, Justin and two other MPs met Schools Minister Nick Gibb in a bid to get just two hours of the curriculum, or 0.2 per cent a year, dedicated to teaching students life saving skills.

“I was just 12 when I found my dad and my lifesaving skills were a bit muddled,” he said.“I made an attempt to save him, but we got him in an ambulance. It was really scary and that is why I have got involved in this now.

“We are only asking for two hours of the curriculum a year which is next to nothing, but it could equip an army of potential life savers, it is so important.”

Approximately 30,000 people a year will suffer a cardiac arrest in this country outside of a hospital and between just two and 12 per cent of these people will survive.

In Seattle in America, the survival rate stands at 46 per cent.

“These statistics are appalling,” said Justin.

“It takes between six and 12 minutes for an ambulance to reach a patient, and with somebody who has had a cardiac arrest, every minute that passes means their chances of survival falls by 10 per cent. I think this just shows how important it is that we are all equipped with these skills.

“We met with the Schools Minister on the back of the 100,000 plus signatories from the British Heart Foundation’s Emergency Life Support Skills campaign and we had an extremely productive meeting.

“Nick Gibb has asked us to go away and make further submissions on how this could be worked into subjects, potentially PE or biology.”

Justin is hoping to get Bolton Wanderers footballer Fabrice Muamba on board after he collapsed on the pitch in March against Spurs.

“It would be great to get somebody high profile on board, especially somebody like Muamba, who without the skills of those around him, might not have been here today,” he said.