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‘No excuse’ for attacking
ambulance staff after new
EEAST figures show 19%
increase in assaults
“She was drunk.”
“He had taken drugs.”
“She cannot remember.”
“He is very sorry and regrets his
actions.”
These are statements made by
defendants in court. However,
there is no excuse for attacking
ambulance staff.
That’s the message from bosses
at the region’s ambulance service,
which has experienced a 19%
increase in reported violence in the
last year.
New figures reveal that there were
232 physical assaults against East of
England Ambulance Service NHS
Trust (EEAST) staff in 2015/16,
compared to 195 in 2014/15.
Criminal sanctions were brought
against 66 people in the last year.
Chief Executive
Robert Morton
said: “It is
appalling that
some people
are violent
towards our staff
when they are
trying to help
and provide the best possible care
to patients. There’s no excuse for
attacks on our staff.
“One assault against a colleague
is one too many and can have a
devastating impact on individuals
and their families.
“It is unacceptable and we work
closely with police to ensure that
criminal proceedings are brought
against those who attack front-line
staff.”
Case studies
Southend senior paramedic
Dil Patel has worked for the
ambulance service for 12
years.
“I was on a night shift last summer
and I was called to an altercation
outside some shops. As I arrived
the patient was quite aggressive and
was being held back by his mates.
He was diabetic and agreed to be
checked over, but he didn’t like
it when I told him that I was not
giving him a lift home.
“He walked towards me and at that
stage the police turned up because
he had smashed some windows.
He was in the ambulance swearing
and he struggled from three police
officers and punched me and bit
one of the police officers. I had
a graze on my chin and I gave a
statement to the police.”
The man was given an unpaid work
order and ordered to pay £100
compensation.
“On average I’m being assaulted at
least once a year and it is becoming
more common because we are
going to more of these types of
jobs. You try and do everything you
can to avoid being assaulted, but
sadly it is part of the job.”
Bedfordshire paramedic
Lola Arch was assaulted by
a man in Luton last July. He
was ordered to pay fines and
compensation in court. She’s
worked for the ambulance
service since 1999.
“It was July 2015 in Luton and we
were given a verbal warning by
control about this individual.
“We were so cautious when we
went in, but it was a very cramped
environment and it was hard to get
away. It was horrible and frightening
because I thought he was going to
strangle me. He pushed me against
a wall causing bruising to my head
and he threw the heart monitor at
my colleague.
“It was not nice giving evidence in
court to be near him and to look at
him again.
“I had three weeks off work
because my confidence crashed
and when I came back to work, I
did not want to work on my own
and my line manager worked with
me to build my confidence up. I was
fearful of going to similar patients
and scenarios. I did not expect it to
happen to me.”
Emergency Medical
Technician Graham Hillman
was on duty in Huntingdon,
Cambridgeshire, last October
when he was called to an
intoxicated patient who
lashed out and broke his
glasses. He was then spat at.
His attacker was jailed for
16 weeks and ordered to pay
£125 compensation
“It is one of the most disgusting
things that one person can do to
another. Lashing out is bad enough,
but spitting is disgusting. It makes
me more wary and realise that not
everyone is grateful to see us or
fully in control.
“It is not the first time I have
experienced violence, but is
the first time I felt it needed to
be reported and press charges.
The sentence validates the view
that this behaviour is totally
unacceptable. We were off the
road for four hours because of
what he did.
“As 999 emergency ambulance
staff, our only concern for our
patients is to help them in every
way that we can. We should be
able to do this without fear of
being attacked, assaulted or having
our personal property damaged in
the process of doing so.”
60 Winter 2016 | Ambulancetoday