Abuse of ambulance staff rises

Ambulance crews fear they are losing the community’s respect after staff were physically assaulted 98 times around the Central North Island in the past nine months.

St John staff were also verbally abused 219 times when they went out on jobs, making the Central North Island one of the worst places in the country for ambulance crews.

Only Auckland, with 791 incidents, and Canterbury with 383, were worse. Wellington and Wairarapa are serviced by Wellington Free Ambulance.

St John Manawatu operations manager Steve Yanko said they had seen an increase in violence towards officers.

‘‘Once upon a time there was more respect for St John and what it stood for.

‘‘Now there is a core of society who give that no consideration.’’

Assaults had left staff with fractured ribs, whileone had their nose broken after being punched in the face.

‘‘One was pinned down on the floor of their ambulance and had their family threatened.’’

Yanko said crews were subjected to ’’horrible’’ verbal threats too.

St John attended more than 366,375 emergency incidents nationwide in the past year and ambulance officers experienced around 3000 incidents of abuse and assault.

In some circumstances crews were prevented from helping patients because of the level of abuse, Yanko said.

‘‘We’ve had times where we can’t go and treat people because they fear for their own lives.

‘‘In reality that is what it comes down to.’’

Yanko said some staff had to take time off or receive counselling as a result of abuse.

‘‘It knocks their confidence. It is real, it is actually real.’’

Yanko said St John would not be speaking out if it was not a serious issue.

‘‘It starts to take its toll, we have to get it out there in the public.’’

There was a clear difference between distress from trauma and abuse that officers received.

‘‘It is not about someone being in shock.

‘‘We are trained to deal with that.’’

Alcohol was usually a factor, but Yanko said abuse could come at any time and ‘‘when you least expect it’’.

Unfortunately it was becoming more and more prevalent, he said.

‘‘New Zealand is just catching up with what is happening elsewhere in the world.’’

St John media manager Victoria Hawkins said abuse incidents only made up about one percent of incidents attended.

‘‘99 per cent of public’s behaviour is fantastic.’’

Hawkins said they were trying to make in-roads on the remaining one per cent.

St John chief executive Peter Bradley said ambulance officers have had enough.

‘‘Simply, ambulance officers can’t save your life if they are trying to protect their own.’’