Crackdown as medics face more violence

10:57am Wednesday 28th February 2007

Comments (0)   Have your say »

EMERGENCY medics in the region are facing violence and abuse on a daily basis, ambulance bosses have revealed.

Since July last year, Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) crews have reported 230 incidents of aggression and attacks - nearly one a day - and say many more incidents go unreported.

Special measures have now been put in place to protect the life-savers, including training on how to defuse a potentially aggressive situation.

YAS has also vowed to prosecute more abusers - and cite the fact that three people have been jailed in the past seven months, with further cases pending.

"Ambulance crews have been punched, kicked, spat at and verbally and racially abused, while trying to save lives," said Alan Peart, YAS assistant director of operations.

"Physical and verbal abuse against staff is completely unacceptable," he said. "Yorkshire Ambulance Service takes a zero tolerance policy against such behaviour and will prosecute offenders. It is not right that our staff should be in fear whilst trying to do their job."

A Scarborough ambulance crew member said: "While treating a patient in the back of the ambulance, his female friend tried to gain access. As I closed the door she grabbed my right forearm and penetrated the skin with her nails, drawing blood."

In another incident, a York medic was punched in the face and head by a patient and had his glasses knocked to the ground.

Other incidents include patients threatening to kill a medic, teenagers mobbing an ambulance and spitting and swearing at medics, and a driver being kicked in the face.

"Our crews our trained to a high standard and often work in difficult situations where they feel threatened," said Mr Peart. "This makes the job even more difficult, while still trying to meet targets set by the Government, for example answering 75 per cent of all emergency calls within eight minutes."

YAS serves a population of 5.4 million across 7,500 square miles. While most violent incidents occurred in urban areas, some rural crews also face aggression.

In 2005, a taxi driver was jailed for nine months after attacking a paramedic in Richmond, dislocating his shoulder.