Violence against West Midlands paramedics driving staff to quit
Rising assaults are leaving crews shaken, with some taking sick leave or leaving the job altogether
“Some of the staff that do leave… have noted that the reason why they have left is because of the level of violence and aggression,” says Dan Knight, head of security and safety at West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Paramedics in the region are increasingly facing violence from patients, with some staff taking sick leave and others leaving the profession, the service says.
It comes as the latest NHS staff survey found nearly one in seven NHS workers in England were physically attacked by patients or the public last year – the highest level in three years.
Mr Knight said assaults on frontline ambulance workers were “quite significant”.
“We see it quite often, unfortunately… the amount of staff that are being assaulted when they attend 999 calls and 111 calls,” he said.
He added that violence had increased over time, with figures showing a 33% rise in assaults on ambulance workers over the past five to six years “There is definitely an increase in the amount of violence that we’ve seen,” he said.
The impact on staff can be both physical and psychological “Some staff feel that they cannot continue their shift because they are so shook up or they’ve been physically injured,” he said.
Mr Knight added that assaults can also lead to time off work “We can also see that sometimes this plays a part in staff going off for sickness as well.”
Mr Knight said the service is taking steps to protect staff, including training crews in conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques, as well as how to safely get out of dangerous situations.
He said paramedics are also equipped with body-worn cameras to help deter abuse and gather evidence, and staff are encouraged to report incidents to police so action can be taken.