'We were really scared': London paramedics assaulted or abused over 2,000 times in a year

London paramedics and ambulance unit experienced much than 2,000 incidents of violence and abuse past year, caller figures person revealed.

Data released by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) shows that 2,159 incidents of maltreatment were recorded successful the twelvemonth up to April 2024.

It is simply a 40 per cent summation connected the 1,525 incidents reported successful 2022/23, but LAS sources said the emergence besides reflects an betterment successful reporting levels for the Service.

Incidents included paramedics being attacked with weapons, kicked, punched, sexually assaulted and targeted with verbal abuse.

A full of 1,123 incidents of maltreatment and unit person been reported betwixt April and September this year.

As of the extremity of September, the LAS had 574 unfastened oregon pending investigations with the Metropolitan Police relating to incidents of violence, aggressing and maltreatment against its staff.

Separate information published by the NHS Staff Survey showed that much than a 4th (27 per cent) of unit had experienced unit and aggression from a subordinate of the public.

Daniel Elkeles, Chief Executive of the LAS, told the Standard: “Our clinicians and our telephone handlers travel to enactment time and nighttime to attraction for others.

“It is disgraceful that they should look aggression and the shocking scenes successful the Ambulance documentary amusement the profound interaction this maltreatment tin have.

“Our radical indispensable beryllium harmless to bash their jobs without fear.”

The LAS precocious fitted its ambulances with CCTV, audio recording, panic buttons and caller monitors to assistance support unit and unafraid prosecutions against convulsive patients.

Staff person besides been fixed body-worn cameras to usage portion connected duty.

The standard of maltreatment faced by London paramedics was highlighted successful an occurrence of BBC One’s Ambulance series, which aired connected Thursday evening.

In a harrowing scene, ambulance crews are captured reacting successful daze to the screams of a workfellow being attacked by a diligent connected the unfastened radio.

Crewmates David Empson and Lex Gioia were connected their mode to a pistillate with breathing difficulties erstwhile they heard the distressing sounds of the assault.

David, who works arsenic an Emergency Medical Technician astatine Homerton Ambulance Station, said: “It was beauteous shocking to perceive the altercation implicit the vigor and proceeding the crews trying to get distant from the patient. There was a truly worrying play of soundlessness arsenic the teams successful the power country tried to scope them connected the unfastened channel.

“The unit sounded terrified and we were truly frightened for them. It was a stark reminder that it could hap to immoderate 1 of us. It was a horrific commencement to the day.”

Ms Miller, who waived her close to anonymity, told the Standard past twelvemonth that she hoped that sharing her communicative would promote others to study akin crimes.

She features successful the 2nd signifier of a run launched by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) called #WorkWithoutFear, which highlights the interaction of abuse.

In a video released connected societal media arsenic portion of the campaign, Ms Miller says of the assault: “Since it happened, I americium rather wary of definite patients and americium ever alert of the thought it mightiness hap again.”

The run is supported by NHS England.

The LAS was the archetypal spot to present a dedicated Violence Reduction Unit to enactment colleagues to study crimes.