Assaults on ambulance staff are up

In the last year the number of physical assaults on staff at the East of England Ambulance Service rose by more than 10 per cent.

In 2010/11 140 members of staff were assaulted in 116 separate incidents compared to 125 in 94 incidents in 2009/10.

There were 11 attacks in Bedfordshire in 2010/11 as opposed to seven in the previous year. In Cambridgeshire their were 24 attacks, a slight decrease on the 25 in 2009/10.

Danny Daniel, health, safety and security manager for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, said that these attacks, which are sometimes by the very people staff are trying to help, are completely intolerable.

He said: “The trust is continuing to encourage more staff to report incidents which figures will reflect.

“The ability of ambulance crews to work safely and unhindered is paramount not only for their own wellbeing but also that of other patients and we totally condemn any violence carried out against them. Such attacks have potentially very serious consequences.”

To read the full story see the Biggleswade Chronicle of Friday, September 2.