What Should Be in a Home First Aid Kit? A UK Checklist

Most homes have a drawer with a few plasters, half a packet of paracetamol and a thermometer with a flat battery. That works until someone slices a finger on a Sunday night, or a child spikes a temperature at 3am. Here’s what NHS services, St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross say a home kit should contain, where to keep it, and the ready-made kits worth buying.

First aid kit vs medicine cabinet

It helps to think of two separate things:

• The first aid kit deals with injuries: cuts, grazes, burns, sprains, splinters and things in eyes.
• The medicine cabinet deals with common illnesses: pain, fever, allergies, diarrhoea and indigestion.

Many ready-made “first aid kits” contain no medicines at all, so you’ll usually need to add those yourself.

The home first aid kit checklist

This combines the NHS lists with St John Ambulance’s first aid kit checklist:

St John Ambulance recommends latex-free gloves where possible, and a “clean, waterproof box” for a home or car kit.

The medicine cabinet checklist

NHS England’s advice for keeping well lists:

• Pain relief, “such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen for aches, pains and high temperatures”.
• Never give aspirin to children aged 15 or under. The NHS says it can cause a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome.
• Oral rehydration salts, “to replace lost minerals and fluid after a fever or vomiting and diarrhoea”.
• Anti-diarrhoea tablets, which relieve the symptoms “although these will not help with the underlying cause”.
• Antihistamines, “which can help with allergies”.
• Indigestion remedies.

The NHS Black Country Integrated Care Board’s list, based on Royal Pharmaceutical Society advice, also includes decongestants, antihistamine cream and sunscreen of at least SPF15 with UVA protection.

For children

The NHS Healthier Together children’s list adds paracetamol and ibuprofen in liquid or tablet form, rehydration sachets, antihistamines, antiseptic cream, sun cream and sore throat lozenges or spray. A few points from NHS pages:

• Children’s paracetamol and ibuprofen come as a liquid, also called oral suspension. The NHS says to “always check the packet or leaflet that comes with your medicine” and to use the syringe or spoon that comes with it.
• Healthier Together says ibuprofen may not be suitable for a child with asthma, so check with a pharmacist or GP.
• For children, the NHS says to use a digital thermometer placed in the armpit, and NICE guidance says not to routinely take temperatures in the mouth for children under 5.
• Pharmacy own-brand medicines “are cheaper and work just as well”.

Where to keep it

The bathroom cabinet is the classic spot, but NHS advice says otherwise. United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust says to “avoid storage near sources of heat or humidity like kitchens, bathrooms, sinks or radiators”, and to “keep medicine in a childproof place and out of reach of children and pets”. The Black Country ICB says “a high, lockable cupboard in a cool, dry place is ideal”.

Keep the first aid kit somewhere everyone in the house knows about and can reach quickly. A high kitchen cupboard away from the cooker, or a hallway cupboard, works well. Many families keep a second, smaller kit in the car.

Check it every six months

St John Ambulance says “the kit itself doesn’t go out of date, but the materials inside can”, and recommends reviewing it every six months. Kits kept somewhere hot, like a car, need checking more often. A handy reminder is to check it when the clocks change in March and October.

For out-of-date medicines, the NHS advice is not to put them in household waste or flush them down the toilet. Instead, “place them in a clear plastic bag, seal it and take them back to your local pharmacy”.

Burns: what to do first

For burns and scalds, the most important first step needs no kit at all. The NHS says to hold a burn under cool running water for 20 minutes, then cover it loosely with cling film, and not to put creams, oils or butter on it. St John Ambulance’s burns advice says “do not use ice, creams or gels”.

The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E for burns that are very large or deep, on the face, genitals or bottom, or caused by chemicals or electricity. Call 111 for advice on any burn to a child under 5.

When a first aid kit isn’t enough

• 999 is “for life-threatening emergencies like serious road traffic accidents, strokes and heart attacks”. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, St John Ambulance says to “call 999 or 112 for emergency help and start CPR straight away”.
• NHS 111 “can help if you think you need medical help right now”, and is the number to use if you’re not sure whether to call 999. NHS 111 online is for people aged 5 and over; for a child under 5, call 111.

Learn the basics for free

A kit is only useful if you know what to do with it. The British Red Cross has a free first aid app covering “over 20 first aid skills”, plus a free Baby and Child First Aid app, and free online learning you can do at your own pace. Its free workshops don’t give you a qualification. St John Ambulance runs free in-person first aid awareness sessions in England for schools and community groups, and has first aid advice on its website. Its app has been withdrawn from app stores, so use the website instead.

Why it matters: the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) says 7,751 people died after an accident at home in England in 2019, 55% of all accidental deaths. In 2022/23, more than 740,000 people in England were admitted to hospital after an accident of any kind, and falls accounted for 61% of those admissions.

Ready-made kits worth buying

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NHS England — Keeping you well
• NHS Black Country ICB — Keep a well-stocked medicine cabinet at home
• NHS Healthier Together — What to keep in your medicine cabinet
• United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust — Storing medicines at home
• NHS — Paracetamol for children and Ibuprofen for children
• NHS — When to call 999 and When to use 111
• St John Ambulance — What to put in a first aid kit and Do first aid kits expire?
• St John Ambulance — CPR advice and Burns and scalds
• NHS — Burns and scalds, Aspirin for pain relief and Fever in children
• NICE — Fever in under 5s (NG143)
• British Red Cross — First aid apps and Learn first aid
• HSE — What to put in your first aid kit
• RoSPA — Safer Lives, Stronger Nation
• St John Ambulance shop — Home First Aid Kit and Small Workplace First Aid Kit
• WMS — Braun ThermoScan 7 IRT6520

Related reading: our storm-proofing guide, keeping medicines safe in hot weather and a year-round temperature plan for elderly parents.