Soldiers are to be issued blood-clotting injectors to save lives on the battlefield.

The new autoinjector will allow soldiers to self-administer life saving drugs at the push of a button.

The government plans for the technology, once proven by soldiers, to be used by all first responders in Britain, in a bid to reduce deaths from rapid blood loss such as after knife attacks.

It is hoped the autoinjectors could also be used worldwide, as they can be administered by untrained users such as midwives in less developed nations where experts say a third of postpartum deaths are down to blood loss.

The Defence Secretary said the £5 million investment in the technology would have “an immediate impact in terms of reducing the number of deaths on the battlefield”.

“This funding shows our commitment to ensuring those serving on the frontline get the best treatment as rapidly as possible”.