Skip navigation
North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) logo
  • News
  • Events
  • Charity
  • Ambulance Academy
  • Publications
Use this link to enable the ReciteMe accessibility toolkit Enable ReciteMe accessibility tools
  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • NHS 111 (non-emergency)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Your Call Magazine
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support the North West Ambulance Charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and young people
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    • Change NHS: Helping shape a health service fit for the future
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Our publications
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    • Public Health
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Careers
    • Our assessment centre
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Applying for a job
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • Media
    • Request my information
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • External Patient Event Reporting Form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Home
  • Our service
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • NHS 111 (non-emergency)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Get involved
    • Your Call Magazine
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support the North West Ambulance Charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and young people
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    • Change NHS: Helping shape a health service fit for the future
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • About us
    • Our publications
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    • Public Health
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Careers
    • Our assessment centre
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Applying for a job
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • Contact us
    • Media
    • Request my information
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • External Patient Event Reporting Form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?

Search the site

  • Home
    • Urgent and emergency care (999)
    • NHS 111 (non-emergency)
    • Patient Transport Service (PTS)
    • Major incidents
    • Emergency advice
    • Information for professionals
    • Other ways we can help
    • Help accessing our services
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
    • Your Call Magazine
    • Volunteer with us
    • Support the North West Ambulance Charity
    • Support our campaigns
    • Children and young people
    • Lifesaving skills
    • Events
    • Share your experience
    • What happens with your feedback?
    • Talk to us on social media
    • Change NHS: Helping shape a health service fit for the future
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
    • Our publications
    • Who we are
    • Our locations
    • Our strategy and values
    • How we are doing
    • Board of directors
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Research and development
    • Public Health
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
    • Our assessment centre
    • Current vacancies
    • Join our team
    • Why work with us
    • Explore roles
    • Applying for a job
    • Working with the Armed Forces
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
    • Media
    • Request my information
    • FOI and EIR
    • General enquiries
    • Lost property
    • Make a complaint
    • External Patient Event Reporting Form
    • Point taken
    • Send a thank you
    • Tell us how we did
    Need to arrange transport using our Patient Transport Service (PTS)?
  • News
  • Events
  • Charity
  • Ambulance Academy
  • Publications
Home > Our service > Emergency advice > Choking

Choking

When someone chokes, their airway can either be partly or fully blocked which means they are unable to breathe properly. Helping them clear the blockage quickly is key.

Share this page

When someone chokes, their airway can either be partly or fully blocked which means they are unable to breathe properly. Often when it is a partial blockage, they should be able to clear it themselves by coughing, however, if the airway is blocked completely they won’t be able cough so will need help.

What you can do

  • If you think someone is choking firstly ask them to cough to try to clear the blockage.
  • If coughing doesn’t work, stand behind them, lean them forward and give up to five sharp blows between their shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
  • If this doesn’t clear the blockage, clench one fist and place it just above their belly button, place your other hand on top of your fist and pull sharply inwards and upwards, repeat this up to five times
  • If they become unresponsive call 999 right away.

For babies under one, sit down and lay the baby face down along your thighs, supporting their head with your hand, and give up to five sharp back blows with the heel of one hand in the middle of the back between the shoulder blades. If this doesn’t clear the blockage, lay the baby face up along the length of your thighs, find the breastbone and place two fingers in the middle. Push down on the chest up to five times. Repeat until the blockage is cleared. If they become unresponsive call 999 right away.

Also in this section

  • Cardiac arrest

  • Stroke

  • Heavy bleeding

  • Choking


Contact us

General enquiries

0345 112 0999 To call general enquiries, click this link or dial 0345 112 0999

This number should NOT be used to contact us in an emergency. In an emergency dial 999 immediately or for non-urgent medical advice call NHS 111.

How to find us

Directions to our offices

Alternative formats

Please contact us if you require any information on our website in an alternative format, such as easy read of large print.

CQC Good rating widget

  • Help
  • Privacy policy
  • Accessibility
  • Freedom of Information
  • Contact us
  • Green Room
  • Cookies

© Copyright 2025 North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust. Lovingly crafted by Mixd

Cookie settings

We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use nwas.nhs.uk, remember your settings and improve our services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services.
View cookies
You have accepted additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.
You have rejected additional cookies. You can change your cookie settings at any time.