Call for bleed kit rollout on TfL bus network

Calls for bleed kits to be installed in every major bus station and on bus routes in areas affected by serious violence have been backed by the London Assembly.

Assembly Members unanimously passed a motion requesting that Transport for London (TfL) to work with the London Ambulance Service (LAS) to ensure the kits will be made available across the network.

Bleed control kits help stem severe bleeding from deep wounds before emergency services arrive – a "potentially valuable method of saving lives".

The motion is non-binding, which means the mayor is not obliged to implement the recommendation. TfL has said it does not plan to promote bleed kits citing guidance from the NHS.

The proposal also called for further training for frontline staff, including bus drivers, to ensure the kits can be used properly and confidently.

Elly Baker, Labour's transport spokesperson proposed the motion.

"I've heard too often from young people that they don't always feel as safe as they should do travelling," she said.

"Passing this motion will show that we are listening to young people and backing the investigation of a potentially valuable method of saving lives."

The issue was raised by members of the London Youth Assembly (LYA) at the meeting.

LYA chair Hugo Maxwell told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): "These kits are already in lots of Underground stations but buses are the mode of transport most used by young people and therefore it's essential that we start the rollout there."

Maxwell suggested a pilot scheme to assess costs and challenges.

Reform UK Assembly Member Keith Prince supported the motion but said he feared it "will be falling on deaf ears and that the mayor will reject this very sensible idea of having a kit that can save someone's life".

In 2024, Prince questioned Sir Sadiq Khan on the issue.

The mayor said specialist kits were "not essential" for bleed control and said the NHS strongly advocated for basic first aid training, including bleed control.

A spokesperson for TfL reaffirmed this stating "the current advice from the NHS is that standard first aid kits are sufficient for the majority of bleeding wounds".

They added: "The NHS also highlights that the effective use of bleed kits requires appropriate training and there is a risk of significant harm if tourniquets, which are usually included in bleed kits, are not used correctly."

Because of this, it said it had no plans to roll out or promote bleed kits but would keep its position under review.

The London Ambulance Service said it focuses on teaching basic first aid skills, including in schools, and explained that stopping heavy bleeding is vital and often does not require specialist equipment because clean soft materials can be used to apply pressure.

The Mayor's Office has declined to comment.

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