Paramedics fear for their safety while at work
Almost two-thirds of paramedics in the North East say they have feared for their safety or felt threatened while carrying out their duties, according to a survey.
The College of Paramedics, say the 63% who expressed these fears is slightly below the national figure of 70%.
The survey, which was completed by 2,345 paramedics including 60 in the North East, also revealed that 49% had suffered physical abuse and 80% said they had been verbally abused during the course of their work.
The findings come a month after new NHS England figures revealed that paramedics have suffered a 32% rise in assaults over the past five years, with 3,569 incidents taking place in 202021 alone.
Tracy Nicholls, chief executive of the College of Paramedics, said: "It's absolutely outrageous to think that so many paramedics have been abused whilst carrying out their duties, going above and beyond to help people when they are at their most vulnerable, and often in the most challenging of circumstances. Worryingly, the abuse appears to have increased during the pandemic.”
She added: "Enough is enough. While we welcome steps the Government has taken to mitigate some of the risks with funding for body worn cameras and harsher custodial sentences for perpetrators of violence against paramedics, more needs to be done.
"The problem is that the law is not being used to full effect and sentences are still far too lenient. We are calling on the courts to step up and impose the harshest penalties available to them."