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The number of reported cases of violence and abuse against paramedics and emergency call handlers in England has risen by over a third since 2019, according to the BBC. Over 44,900 assaults were documented by ambulance services over the last five years, with staff experiencing attacks ranging from punches and kicks to verbal abuse of a racist, homophobic, or religious nature. NWAS paramedic Nutan Patel-West disclosed to the BBC that she had been racially abused “multiple times” while on duty and, in 2021, nearly suffered injury from a hurled glass ashtray.
Mrs Patel-West reported that such incidents had undermined her confidence. Her experience is not unique, with call handler James Shelley telling of an 11-minute homophobic tirade he experienced earlier this year. He recounts being “shaking” after the call. The BBC conducted Freedom of Information Act requests among all ambulance services in England, with the requests revealing that frontline and operations staff are subjected to 173 attacks each week on average.
NWAS’s violence prevention and reduction manager, Natalie Samuels, requested that the public remain respectful and calm when dealing with emergency services. “We just ask for the public to stick with the questions and answer them as calmly as they can,” she said. Morale among emergency service staff has been declining, as NWAS paramedic Lisa Morley has reported that “no matter how long you’ve done this job for or in what capacity at some point you will have been scared.” She urges staff to focus on “the good jobs and the help you’re giving” despite the abuse.
The British government stressed that there is a “zero-tolerance approach to this type of behaviour” and disclosed that persons who assault emergency workers can face 2 years in prison. Over the last four-and-a-half years, NWAS has logged 1,281 physical assaults, 1,192 incidents of verbal abuse and threats, 711 cases of sexual abuse and 150 cases of racial abuse. Despite abuse incidents increasing, the emergency service staff encourages patients to remain calm and respectful to allow the staff to provide the required care
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