Ambulance Staff Face Rising Assaults, Official Calls Trend ‘Alarming’

An investigation conducted by the BBC has revealed almost 3,000 incidents of abuse targeting West Midlands Ambulance Service personnel over the last five years. Employees reported experiencing physical assaults, including being punched and kicked, as well as threats involving weapons and verbal harassment. Dan Knight, who serves as the Head of Security and Safety for the organization, stated that such experiences were not part of what staff had committed to. Data acquired by the BBC indicates that ambulance services across England documented over 45,000 assaults. Mr. Knight further explained that the violence and abuse extended beyond front-line crews to include patient transport teams conducting hospital transfers, as well as call assessors and control room staff. He noted that the frequency of these incidents was rising “quite rapidly,” a trend he characterized as “alarming.” He elaborated, stating: “The aggressive callers that call up that swear, that threaten to assault call assessors’ children, sexually assault people, all down the phone – I’m talking about those comments that are deeply upsetting for our call assessors.” In the region, 472 incidents were reported in 2019, increasing to 581 in 2020, and reaching 608 in 2021. The number of reported incidents was 584 in 2022, before peaking at 640 in 2023. The West Midlands Ambulance Service compiled the statistics for the period from 2019 to 2022, while the figures for 2023 were sourced from a report by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives. This trust provides coverage across the entire West Midlands area, encompassing Shropshire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Coventry, Birmingham, and the Black Country. Subsequent to the BBC investigation, the government affirmed a “zero-tolerance approach to this type of behaviour” and issued a warning that individuals who assault emergency workers could face prison sentences of up to two years. Information regarding BBC Birmingham is available on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Details on their approach to external linking are also provided.