Recovery position delays treatment, say doctors

The recovery position should no longer be used on casualties after an accident, research suggests.

Doctors have found that placing victims on their side can make it harder for first aiders to spot whether the person is having breathing difficulties.

Using the recovery position led to crucial delays in administering CPR if a patient needed it, in nearly half of the 59 cases examined.

It took at least two minutes before experienced first aiders noticed that a casualty had stopped breathing in the recovery position. It has been a key part of first-aid manuals for decades.