"Resuscitation training"

I am writing to ask NHS Forth valley to review its resuscitation training to ensure patients with tracheostomies are considered when completing practical sessions for support staff, carers and families. We have been told that the current Resus training does meet legal requirements, but only the theory of using an ambubag with a tracheostomy is carried out, there is no practical exercise on a doll as with the usual mouth to mouth practise. Every person learns in a different way, and having had personal experience of both the training, and having to use Resus in real life, I know without the practical session on a doll I would have not felt as confident. Tracheostomy patients may be in the minority, but there are so many support staff and carers who are involved in looking after them and meeting their medical needs. This training gap means staff do not feel totally confident in their ability to intervene in such a medical emergency. My son has a range of complex medical issues including cardiac, respiratory and epilepsy. All of those reasons can prompt a need for breathing support or Resus and we have had to do this at home. We were given our initial training in Glasgow, who as a health board do provide the full range of practical training if it is relevant for those attending. We now have to travel to Glasgow for refresher training ourselves as nowhere locally can meet those needs - with such a medically complex son we could do with out yet another trip to Glasgow. The training gaps for our home care and school staff are leaving us with serious concerns about the ability of staff to be able to intervene in an emergency. I don't feel comfortable knowing someone was going to be expected to intervene with my child knowing they had not had practical experience of attaching and using an ambubag on a training doll. Why is mouth to mouth Resus practised but not those with a more complex airway? We have been discussing our concerns with a staff member who has told us she has raised this with those involved, but there has been no progress over the last year and I would now like to escalate this to someone who can do a proper review. I would like to discuss the real situations we have been in at home and at nursery, and understand why this vital training is not being carried out properly. I think that training shouldn’t just meet legal standards, it should be fit for purpose, and fit for all patients.