Under government plans based on recommendations by the Löfstedt Review, from 1 October the HSE will no longer be the awarding body for first aid training - a function it has performed since 1981.
Michael Slade, MD of Bibby Consulting & Support, which is an HSE-certified provider of first aid training, said the practice is now going to be thrown open to the four corners to see what happens.
"Somebody has to be responsible for monitoring the quality of first aid trainers," he said,
"We, and other professional training providers like us, had to jump through hoops to in order to achieve accreditation; accreditation which we wholeheartedly support to ensure the quality of providers is consistent and to a high standard.
"But who is going to fill the gap left by the HSE? What is going to happen to standards when hundreds of organisations enter the market place and start to drive down prices?
"This change will mean that anyone who wants to offer the service will be able to and this is bound to affect the quality of the training delivered. We can only hope that employers continue to be discerning and want to use a professional training provider for their first aid courses."
