What to Keep in a Simple Home First-Aid Kit

Most household mishaps are minor: a cut finger while cooking, a grazed knee in the garden, a splinter or a mild burn. Having a few basic supplies in one place means you can deal with these calmly instead of rummaging through drawers. A home first-aid kit does not need to be elaborate, but it should be easy to find, well stocked and checked from time to time.

The basics

A simple kit for most homes might include:

• plasters in a range of sizes
• sterile gauze dressings and a few larger dressings
• a roll of medical tape
• at least one crêpe bandage for supporting a sprain
• a triangular bandage, which can be used as a sling
• small scissors and tweezers
• disposable gloves
• a digital thermometer
• antiseptic wipes or a mild antiseptic solution
• an eyewash or sterile saline solution
• a foil emergency blanket

You may also want to keep some basic medicines nearby, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen for pain and fever, antihistamines for mild allergic reactions, and a soothing cream for bites and stings. Always follow the instructions on the packet, check they are suitable for each person in the household, and ask a pharmacist if you are unsure, particularly for children, during pregnancy or alongside other medication.

Personal extras

Think about the needs of the people in your home. If someone has a known severe allergy, make sure everyone knows where their prescribed adrenaline auto-injector is kept and how to use it. If someone uses an inhaler, keep a spare where it can be reached quickly. A list of each person's medicines and any medical conditions, along with your GP's phone number, can be very helpful in an emergency.

Where to keep it

Store the kit somewhere cool and dry, out of reach of young children but easy for adults to grab in a hurry. Kitchens and bathrooms are common choices, although steam in bathrooms can damage some items. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. A smaller kit in the car and in a bag for days out can also be useful.

Keeping it up to date

Every few months, have a quick look through the kit. Replace anything that has been used, throw away out-of-date medicines safely (many pharmacies will take them back), and check that packaging is still sealed. It is easy to use the last plaster and forget to replace it until the next time you need one.

The kit is only half of it

Supplies are useful, but knowing what to do matters just as much. A basic first-aid course, offered by organisations such as the British Red Cross and St John Ambulance, teaches skills like how to stop bleeding, how to help someone who is choking and how to put someone in the recovery position. Many offer short sessions and online resources.

Knowing when it is more than first aid

A first-aid kit is for minor injuries. If someone has severe bleeding, difficulty breathing, chest pain, signs of a stroke, a serious head injury or has collapsed, call 999 straight away. For urgent problems that are not life-threatening, NHS 111 can advise you on what to do and where to go.

Ready when it matters

Putting together a kit takes an hour and costs relatively little. It is one of those jobs that is easy to put off, but on the day someone needs a plaster, a bandage or a cool dressing for a burn, you will be glad it is there.