SHOCKING NUMBER OF ASSAULTS ON 999 CREW

AMBULANCE staff in Coventry experience two attacks a week.

Exclusive figures obtained through a Freedom of Information request show that Coventry staff were attacked 104 times in 2018/19.

That was up from 99 assaults recorded the year before.

Of the 104 assaults recorded in 2018/19, 40 were physical assaults (28 of which were intentional) and 64 verbal assaults (57 of which were intentional).

Across the West Midlands, ambulance staff reported a total of 1,066 attacks in 2018/19, up from 945 the year before.

A member of ambulance staff was assaulted every 90 minutes last year across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

There were at least 5,855 recorded assaults in 2018/19, including physical and non-physical assaults.

This is an increase compared to 2017/18 when there were at least 5,192 assaults.

In some cases ambulance staff were attacked with knives and clubs and there were at least 71 sexual assaults.

Ambulance staff in London were assaulted 698 times, North West staff were assaulted 363 times, Northern Ireland staff 452 times and South Central ambulance staff 198 times.

South Western ambulance staff were assaulted 614 times while the North East ambulance service staff 535 times. East of England and East Midlands ambulance service staff were assaulted 1,295 and 896 times respectively while in Scotland there were 269 assaults.

Steve Elliker, West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Head of Security and Safety said: “West Midlands Ambulance Service has a zero-tolerance policy towards people who abuse our staff.

“It is never appropriate for staff to be abused verbally or physically; our crews have the right to work without fear of violence or intimidation whilst trying to help patients.

“It is completely unacceptable that ambulance staff, who are responding to help people in their hour of need, should have to face violence or verbal abuse.

“We urge the courts to use the full powers open to them using the new Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 to demonstrate that it is not acceptable to attack any emergency services worker, ever.”

“Should never be part of the job”UNISON head of health Sara Gorton said: “It’s horrific that ambulance workers face increasing abuse and violence in the line of duty. This should never be part of the job.

“These assaults can cause long-term physical and mental harm. Courts must take advantage of new laws and give attackers stiffer jail terms. Employers and the government also must do more to prevent assaults and protect staff.”