1 week Ago
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) made the call on Thursday, April 24. From April 2024 to March 2025, 22,536 incidents of violence, aggression and abuse were reported against ambulance service staff across the UK. This is an increase of almost 15 per cent on the previous year.
The incidents included kicking, punching, slapping, head-butting, spitting, verbal abuse and sexual assault. In the South Central region, more than 95 incidents were recorded each month, meaning at least three staff members are abused or attacked every day. Kirsten Willis-Drewett, assistant director of operations at SCAS, said: "Unfortunately we know that staff out on the road and in our control room face unacceptable physical and verbal abuse every day, and we wholeheartedly support AACE’s calls for more action to address this rising problem.
"We have worked with our local police forces to secure convictions against people who have attacked our staff and current legislation can see such perpetrators jailed for up to two years. "As well as providing our staff with body worn cameras, and additional training to keep themselves safe when dealing with challenging situations or behaviours, we offer our staff a range of support should they be the victims of verbal or physical abuse. "But with the numbers of such attacks now at record levels, more action at a national level is needed.
" The AACE data shows that the summer months saw the most incidents of violence and aggression, with summer 2024 recording the highest number of incidents on record. Alcohol is the most prominent factor in assaults against ambulance staff, followed by drugs and people in mental health crisis. Jason Killens, AACE chair and chief executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service University NHS Trust, said: "This situation is now so serious that we are seeking to engage with UK health ministers at the highest level to explore new interventions that could help deter potential perpetrators of these attacks.
"We would also underline again that it is vital that the judiciary uses all available legislation to ensure appropriate sentences are handed out consistently to those found guilty of committing these horrific crimes against our workforce.".
