Ambulance staff fear abuse over festive season

Two out of three ambulance workers fear being attacked doing their job over the festive season, research has shown.

A survey by the GMB union of more than 1,100 workers from ambulance trusts across the UK revealed more than 40% feared being physically attacked and more than half were worried about verbal abuse.

West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) paramedic Simon Day has appealed to people to think of ambulance workers before they do "anything stupid".

Dan Knight, WMAS head of security and safety, said the trust had a zero-tolerance policy towards people who abused staff.

"This Friday night will be wild," Mr Day said.

"People out celebrating, drinking, dancing, but unfortunately it's a night when normally sensible people do very silly things."

He added: "Ultimately it will be left to us to pick up the pieces — it will be a gruelling, relentless struggle for ambulance workers right across the UK."

Mr Day suggested workloads and staffing issues had led to low morale, adding: "It's no wonder so many of us feel like we're about to burn out.

"Our message is have fun, celebrate, but please think of us ambulance workers before you do anything stupid."

The research by the GMB found three in four respondents said they had suffered a negative impact on their mental health during the past year.

The GMB said it was publicising its findings on the last Friday before Christmas, believing it was the most popular night for workplace Christmas parties, and one of the busiest of the year for ambulance and hospital workers.

WMAS said figures did not support Friday 19 December being any busier than a typical Friday across the West Midlands, but added it continued to see a rise in abusive incidents.

Mr Knight said it was clear most of the public were outraged every time an ambulance worker was abused, adding: "We will always push hard for a conviction, in the hope that each time someone assaults an emergency service worker, it acts as a deterrent."

He said: "It is never appropriate for staff to be abused verbally or physically; our crews have the right to work without fear of violence or intimidation whilst trying to help patients."

WMAS covers the metropolitan areas of Birmingham, the Black Country and Coventry as well as the rural counties of Herefordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire.

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