A Red Cross survey shows people in the Netherlands are less inclined to help others in a medical emergency, the AD reports.

The survey, among people who do not have a first aid certificate, found that 40% of the respondents would not take action if they saw a person choking, bleeding or lying unconscious in the street. Two thirds said they would do nothing if someone had taken a poisonous substance,

The Red Cross conducted a similar survey seven years ago which showed a much higher willingness to help.

‘We don’t know why this happened but we do know people find it more difficult if they don’t know what action to take,’ Red Cross spokesperson Belinda van der Gaag told the paper.

They should at least call 112, Van der Gaag said. ‘The people on the desk can tell you what to do. Often something simple like putting an unconscious person in the recovery position, or stemming the blood from a wound, can make a big difference.’

On the positive side, the Red Cross says that many more people are brushing up on their first aid skills. In 2013 some 9,000 people passed a basic first aid test, compared to 90,000 this year, the paper writes.