Emergency workers are finding themselves at the receiving end of violent abuse, with the number of assaults by members of the public rising on a monthly basis.
New figures reveal that a total of 1,440 assaults were committed in the six-month period between July 1, and December 31 with spitting, punching, pushing, verbal abuse and kicking being cited as the most common forms of assault.
Joanna Paskell, a paramedic for the Welsh Ambulance Service, said she was assaulted last May by a patient at hospital.
“It was while we were trying to move the patient from the trolley to a bed that she lashed out and punched me straight in the chest," said the mum-of-four, who has been a paramedic for 25 years.
“I was stunned as it was completely out of the blue, and there had been no indication that she was going to get aggressive."
Paramedic Andy Davies, who was left with a dislocated shoulder after being assaulted by a patient last June, said: “I’m ex-military police so I’m quite good at compartmentalising these things, but it doesn’t mean to say we should accept it.
“That night I was dealing with a patient who was becoming verbally aggressive to the point where we called for police backup.
"As I tried to assess him he threw me to the floor, dislocating my left shoulder which resulted in six weeks of physiotherapy to help me recover.”
Now, as the nation gears up for an extended weekend of celebrations to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, emergency workers are concerned the assault rate will spike.
“A Bank Holiday weekend means lots of people enjoying the revelry, and with alcohol consumption there usually comes an increase in assaults,” said Jason Killens, Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Service.
“We know it’s distressing when you’re waiting for help, but abusing our call handlers is not the answer and if anything, it could potentially delay help.
“On the road meanwhile, our crews sometimes have no choice but to leave a scene if their safety is compromised, and that’s not helpful for anyone, especially the patient.
Emergency workers comprise police officers, paramedics, fire fighters, prison staff and NHS workers.
The people who assault them are typically aged between 26 and 35 while alcohol intoxication results in a third of all incidents.
Twenty three incidents involved the use or threat of use of a weapon, eight of which caused injury to the victim.
Assaults on police account for more than two thirds of the total number; there were an average of 165 victims each month in 2021, which was up from 152 in 2020.
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