A PIONEERING campaign which has helped Keighley-district schoolchildren learn lifesaving skills has been shortlisted for a national award.

Restart a Heart is among the finalists in the HSJ Awards, which recognise outstanding achievements in the healthcare sector.

The Yorkshire Ambulance Service campaign, which provides free cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) training to secondary school students, is up for an accolade in the Improving Outcomes Through Learning and Development category.

Each shortlisted entrant will now give presentations to a judging panel and undergo interviews before winners are announced at a glittering ceremony in London on November 22.

Over the past three years, CPR training has been provided to 51,000 pupils on Restart a Heart Day.

Last year, South Craven School at Cross Hills was among 119 secondary schools in Yorkshire which joined-in the scheme.

Instructors used an interactive DVD and manikins to demonstrate the techniques to youngsters.

Project lead Jason Carlyon, a clinical development manager with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: "We are so proud to reach the finals of the HSJ Awards, which are the largest healthcare awards in the world.

"We know there were over 1,500 entries, so to make the shortlist is an exceptional achievement and reflects the hard work we have put into making the project such a success – not just in Yorkshire but now nationally and internationally."

This year's Restart a Heart Day is on October 16.

For more details, visit restartaheart.yas.nhs.uk.