The aim of this paper is to review the current Resuscitation Council (UK) basic life support guidelines. The main changes made to the guidelines published in 2000 are that for adult basic life support no initial rescue breaths should be delivered before commencing chest compressions and that the compression to ventilation ratio should be 30:2 irrespective of the number of rescuers. For children over the age of one year, two rescuers should provide life support with a compression to ventilation ratio of 15:2. There is still a need to deliver rescue breaths before starting compressions in the child patient.