This means that every single day, at least 62 ambulance people will be abused or attacked - almost three an hour - with reported incidents including kicking, punching, slapping, head-butting, spitting, verbal abuse and sexual assault, and ranging from common assault to significant serious attacks involving a multitude of weapons. On top of this many assaults go unreported, so the true figure is higher. Female ambulance workers are three times more likely than the NHS average to be subject to assault at work and male ambulance workers twice the NHS average.
Philippa Styles, Director of Investigations at the Health Services Safety Investigations Body (HSSIB), says: “It is shocking and upsetting to see a continued increase in violence, aggression, abuse and discrimination towards people working in the ambulance service, trying to care for people in some of the most difficult situations. As a paramedic myself, I understand the lasting impact these incidents have on our health and wellbeing. My colleagues at HSSIB and I fully support the #WorkWithoutFear campaign.”
The #WorkWithoutFear campaign is a national initiative aimed at promoting respect and reducing violence and abuse against ambulance staff. It's a collaborative effort between AACE and NHS England, and it focuses on highlighting the impact of abuse on staff and encouraging respect for those who provide emergency care.
The public can pledge their support for the campaign by using and sharing #WorkWithoutFear on social media and by visiting the AACE website to view films about some of those affected.
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