Which bleed kit? Turtle Medical Guide to Trauma Kits

In the last blog we looked at the Enhanced PAcT kit, finding out what it is, why it was created, and where you might find/need one.

Now we compare the Enhanced PAcT Kit with two of Turtle’s other trauma kits, the Daniel Baird Bleed Control Kit and the Turtle Medical trauma rucksack and consider which kit might go where.

What is a PAcT kit?

For anyone who missed the previous blog, a PAcT kit is simply a life-saving emergency kit designed to help members of the public control catastrophic bleeding before professional medical help arrives.

The term Public Access Trauma Kit was coined following the Manchester Arena terrorist attack in 2017 and subsequent legislation regarding public safety at large venues/events known as Martyn’s Law.

Designed with terrorist attacks and scenes of multiple injuries in mind, the kit contains extra medical equipment such as tourniquets and large trauma dressings to treat multiple critical bleeds.

Larger than a Daniel Baird kit and smaller than our trauma rucksack, the Turtle Enhanced PAcT kit exceeds Martyn’s Law requirements for a public trauma kit, containing additional items such as a chest seal, whilst including all the required PPE and trauma components.

What is a Daniel Baird Foundation Bleed Kit?

Created following the death of Daniel Baird in 2017, the Daniel Baird bleed kit is designed for a single critical bleed, caused by physical attack, self-harm, or accident at home, in the workplace or public space.

This kit contains one of each of the four core components needed to stop a bleed: haemostatic (clotting) gauze, windlass tourniquet, vented chest seal and large elasticated trauma dressing; as well as PPE items and the signature Body Map (designed by the ambulance service to support untrained first responders in a panic situation).

With over 30,000 Daniel Baird bleed kits deployed across the UK being used on average 4-5 times a week, these kits are so much more than ‘stab kits’. A vital life-saving resource for both urban and rural communities, these kits have been used for a variety of accidental bleeds including:

• Ten year old boy who slashed his knee on a kerb while playing football
• Woman whose car skidded on ice near a primary school, tree branch went through windscreen causing chest wound
• Father who fell while playing rugby with son
• Elderly man suffered head wound following fall
• Burst artery in leg
• Hedge cutter injury

Whatever the cause of a bleed within a community, fast action is required. The purpose of a Daniel Baird kit is the same as with all public trauma kits- to buy time. Stop the bleed, save a life.

What about a Trauma Rucksack?

There are times and places when you might need extra trauma provision. You might have a large workforce on site in a high-risk setting eg in construction, or your venue might cater for large numbers of the public eg in sports, or maybe you just work with lots of hormonal, unpredictable and often risk-loving teenagers eg in education.

Our Trauma Rucksack is designed with extra provision in mind. Multiple dressings, tourniquets and gauze, and additional PPE/foil blankets.

How do these trauma kits compare?

All three Turtle trauma kits listed above share the central aim of keeping people alive following a catastrophic bleed until professional help arrives. All the kits also contain shared components that are designed to slow down/stop critical bleeds: haemostatic gauze, windlass tourniquet, vented chest seal, large trauma dressing.

The key difference between the kits is scale. Whilst a Daniel Baird kit is designed for a single casualty/bleed victim, a PAcT kit can be used on multiple victims/bleeds, and the trauma rucksacks are bigger again!

Checkout the table below for a handy comparison of contents.

Which Trauma Kit?

So the question you might be asking is: Which trauma kit is right for me? Let’s take a closer look at three Turtle Medical customers who have made the choice. 

Defibrillators Save Lives buys The Daniel Baird Bleed Kit

Their motto: “Providing life saving equipment, we hope is never used”

Based in Oldham, with a mission to ensure everyone is within 500m of a defib, this charity came to Turtle Medical last year looking to expand their life-saving equipment to include bleed kits.

Scott Woodhead and volunteers known as Heart Heros help their local community by fundraising to get more defibs and bleed kits into public spaces.

Already responsible for multiple defibs, they have to date purchased almost 30 Daniel Baird Bleed kits which they place in existing defib cabinets.

Heart Heros check the bleed kits along with the defibs every month.

Scott says he originally chose the Daniel Baird Bleed Kit because it can be registered with the ambulance service, unlike other bleed kits whose contents have not been approved by HMRA.

Its compact size also makes it compatible with most public defib cabinets, an important factor when working with tight budgets, or in areas where combined cabinets are preferred.

Choose the Daniel Baird kit if:

• You want to add a bleed control kit to an existing public defib cabinet
• You need a kit for a small shop, cafe, pub or restaurant
• You want a kit for your local community centre, church, park or sports ground

Darlington Borough Council buys: the Turtle Enhanced PAcT Kit

The Daniel Baird Bleed Control kit will always be the first and original public bleed kit.

However there are now other trauma kits that might suit your location better. If you are a larger business/organisation with more than 200 people on site, or smaller but with a higher risk factor of either terrorist attack or workplace accident, then our Enhanced PAcT Kit might be the solution you’ve been looking for. Martyn’s Law compliant, this kit actually exceeds the minimum requirements stated by ProtectUK.

Les Dunn (Business Support officer for Darlington Borough Council) originally came to Turtle Medical back in 2024 looking for public defib and bleed cabinets. Together with Richard Garrett (Community Safety Manager) they were quick to secure funding from the Durham Police & Crime Commission as part of a wider initiative to improve public safety led by the Serious Violence Prevention Partnership.

One of the most forward thinking councils we have had the privilege to work with, Darlington were among the first to approach us for a PAcT kit in line with Martyn’s Law legislation. Like many councils, Darlington hold public events such as Christmas Markets and other experiences. These events are well-attended, and whilst violence is rare, we know attacks on crowded spaces are possible. Organisers of large scale events are responsible for providing safety measures in the event of an attack/accident. PAcT kits can be easily distributed to the public and used to potentially save lives, stopping bleeds until the professionals arrive. For large venues/events, we recommend the Turtle Emergency Holdall, which contains 5 Enhanced PAcT kits.

With more items to stop multiple bleeds, the only potential downside to a PAcT kit is its size. Still light and portable at a compact 1.6kg, their depth means that they don’t quite fit in a regular public defib cabinet (and we did try!) The Turtle Enhanced PAcT kit WILL fit in our largest combined cabinet along with a defib (500mm x 500mm). Alternatively it will need its own storage container.

Not a problem, as Turtle supply both locked and unlocked options of PAcT cabinet. Whether you are looking at a single grab bag or multiple kits, we can advise how best to keep them safe but accessible.

Choose the Enhanced PAcT kit if:

• Your venue/place or work has more than 200 people onsite OR smaller workforce at high risk of accident/attack
• You organise large scale sporting, music or other leisure events
• You work in construction, transport or higher education

Adam’s Angels buys the Turtle Medical Trauma Rucksack

Adam’s Angels was founded by Erin Rose, a sports therapist dedicated to providing medical kits and support for ice hockey teams.

Created in memory of Adam Johnson, a professional ice hockey player who tragically lost his life after suffering a neck injury during a game, Adam’s Angels is now working to improve safety across the sport. The organisation’s current mission is to place bleed control kits in every Planet Ice rink across the UK, while also equipping Elite, NIHL, WNIHL, Para and junior hockey teams with the equipment and medical support needed at games.

For the rinks, Erin selected the Turtle Medical trauma rucksack. This option provides comprehensive equipment for managing severe bleeding while remaining portable and easy to deploy in an emergency.

Turtle Medical also recommend this type of trauma rucksack for secondary schools. It can be securely stored in a first aid room yet accessed quickly when needed. Sadly, knife-related incidents in schools are becoming more common, and in a worst-case scenario involving multiple casualties — for example an attacker, a victim, and a member of staff attempting to intervene — a single bleed kit may not be enough. Having more extensive equipment available ensures responders are not faced with the impossible decision of who to treat first.

Preparedness saves lives, and ensuring the right equipment is available where people gather — whether in sports venues or schools — can make a critical difference when seconds matter.

How to Choose the Right Trauma Kit

Hopefully these examples have given you some idea as to which trauma kit is right for you. But if you’re still unsure try following these simple steps.

Start by considering the level of risk. A small office or shop may only need a basic bleed control kit designed to treat a single casualty, whereas a sports venue, construction site, or large public space may be better suited to a larger trauma kit that can treat multiple casualties.

Next, think about who will use the kit. Many public access trauma kits are designed so that someone with little or no medical training can use the contents. These kits typically include clear instructions and simple, proven equipment such as a tourniquet, haemostatic gauze, trauma dressing and gloves. In higher-risk workplaces, you may want more advanced equipment and staff training to support it.

You should also consider where the kit will be stored. If it is going outside, you will need a suitable cabinet to protect the contents from weather and tampering. The kit should be clearly visible, easy to access, and ideally located near other emergency equipment such as a defibrillator.

Finally, think about maintenance and inspection. Trauma kits are only useful if the contents are in date and complete. Choosing a kit with a simple check list, or using a registered and monitored cabinet, can help ensure the kit is always ready when needed.

Choosing the right trauma kit doesn’t need to be complicated. The most important thing is to think about who might need to use it, where it will be located, and how quickly emergency services can reach you.

The best trauma kit is not necessarily the biggest one or the most expensive one — it’s the one that is available, accessible, and appropriate for the risks at your location.

Conclusion

Hopefully this blog has helped demystify the different types of trauma and bleed control kits available, and made it easier to understand what you might need and why. Trauma kits can seem complicated at first, but at their core they are simply about having the right equipment available, in the right place, at the right time, to help save a life before the ambulance arrives.

At Turtle, we specialise in practical emergency first aid solutions designed for real-world use — whether that’s in public spaces, workplaces, sports venues, schools, or community locations. Our focus has always been on making life-saving equipment accessible, easy to use, and available when it’s needed most.

If you’re unsure which kit is right for your location, risk level, or budget, it’s always worth asking for advice — getting the right kit in the right place is far more important than getting the biggest or most expensive kit.

Whether you are a first responder, a small business, a sports club, an education establishment, or responsible for a public building or community space, there is a trauma kit solution for you. The most important step is simply having the equipment available — because in a major bleed situation, the actions taken in the first few minutes can make all the difference.