ABUSE of West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) staff has risen by a shocking 88 per cent in the last five years – prompting some of the victims to spearhead a national campaign to promote respect.
Over 1670 WMAS ambulance staff suffered physical or verbal abuse in 2021, compared to 887 in 2016.
Staff were stabbed, punched, kicked, head-butted, spat at, and verbally abused – including racist and homophobic outbursts.
Alcohol was the most prominent factor in assaults against ambulance staff, followed by drugs and people in mental health crisis. Attacks based around race and sexuality have also increased.
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives has today (Monday February 28) launched the national #WorkWithoutFear campaign, supported by NHS England, to highlight the impact of this abuse on the lives of ambulance staff and encourage respect.
The campaign is set to feature ambulance staff from across the country who have been the victims of assaults, including four from West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Birmingham Paramedic Sarah Haddada and Brierley Hill-based Call Assessor Bradley Bayton-Harvey will share their experience of the racial verbal abuse and threatening comments they have endured while trying to help others.
Later in the campaign, which will be running for several months, Willenhall Paramedics Deena Evans and Michael Hipgrave will tell their story of how they were stabbed by a man as they went to help him in Wolverhampton in 2020.
WMAS Chief Executive Anthony Marsh said: “My staff come to work to care for others in their time of need, yet all too often they are greeted by violence and abuse.
“Assaults on ambulance staff, whether it be physical or verbal, are not okay and I fully support this campaign. I hope that it opens people’s eyes to the impact that abuse has on staff as well as reinforcing the message that abusive behaviour of any form is totally unacceptable.
“My staff deserve to be treated with respect and shouldn’t face a fear of attack while helping others. I have nothing but admiration for the brave staff taking part in the campaign in order to raise awareness of the dangers they and other emergency service workers face on a daily basis.
“I urge the Judiciary to use the Assaults on Emergency Workers Offences Act 2018 legislation to give appropriate sentences to those found guilty of committing this abhorrent abuse towards ambulance staff.”
WMAS Joint Staffside Lead, Reena Farrington, added: “It is extremely disturbing that some staff report that receiving abuse is almost part and parcel of doing the job; in no other section of our society would this be deemed acceptable, yet that is what some people think is ok for ambulance staff.
“My colleagues work so hard to try and provide care and compassion at some of the most difficult times in our patients’ lives, yet this is the thanks they get. It has to stop and stop now.
“I can only hope that the campaign will shine a bright light on this appalling behaviour and that everyone will work with us to stamp it out.”
The public can pledge their support by using #WorkWithoutFear on social media and by visiting www.aace.org.uk/vaa to view films about some of those affected.
