The number of assaults on ambulance personnel across the UK will exceed 20,000 incidents before the end of the year, according to new data released by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE).
The data has revealed that UK ambulance services are on course for the highest rate of reported incidents, and the ambulance chiefs hope that it will help raise awareness of the negative impact of this behaviour on their colleagues in the service.
Anna Parry, MD of AACE said, “These new figures highlight the upsetting fact that ambulance employees face the very real possibility of being subject to violence or abuse each time they start a shift. This can have a significant and lasting impact on wellbeing and sometimes even lead to people leaving the ambulance service.
“Our ongoing #WorkWithoutFear campaign is shining a light on this alarming issue and raising awareness of the negative impact of this behaviour on our people, while a significant amount of work is ongoing within ambulance services to help better protect our workforce.”
Jason Killens, AACE Chair and Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust, said this unacceptable behaviour has a major long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of ambulance people who are simply trying to do their jobs and help save lives.
“We ask the judiciary to use their full powers under the Assaults on Emergency Workers Offences Act 2018 legislation to ensure appropriate sentences are handed out consistently to those found guilty of committing these crimes against our workforce.”
According to AACE Head of Operations, Chris Chalmers, there are measures in place to keep ambulance crews safe. “We want to reinforce to the public that abuse will not be tolerated including body-worn cameras, vehicle CCTV, issue warning letters, have joint working procedures with police and offer staff wellbeing support through TRiM (trauma risk management) and mental maintenance resources.”
