This is general information and not a substitute for a first aid course. Call 999 for anything on the emergency list, and 111 when you are unsure.
A small amount of first aid knowledge is genuinely useful in a household, and a small amount of wrong first aid knowledge is genuinely dangerous. Everything here is the current UK guidance, and the boundaries of it are marked clearly.
What it covers
Every tip in first aid
Chest pain, difficulty breathing, signs of stroke, heavy bleeding, a rash that does not fade under a glass, seizures that do not stop, and anyone who cannot be woken.
Cool running water for twenty minutes, remove anything tight from the area, then cover with cling film laid on loosely. No butter, no ice, no toothpaste, no bursting blisters.
Direct, firm, continuous pressure on the wound with anything clean, and keep it there. Elevate if you can. Do not keep lifting the dressing to look.
If they can cough, let them cough. If they cannot, five sharp back blows between the shoulder blades, then five abdominal thrusts, alternating, and call 999.
Face, Arms, Speech, Time. If the face has dropped on one side, an arm cannot be raised and held, or speech is slurred or confused, call 999 immediately.
Plasters, sterile dressings, a bandage, tape, scissors, tweezers, disposable gloves, antiseptic wipes and your usual painkillers. Keep it somewhere everyone knows.
This is general information, not medical advice, and it does not replace a GP, a pharmacist or NHS 111. Call 999 in an emergency. Full disclaimer.