‘It is currently an offence to assault a police officer, an immigration officer or a prison officer. It is not yet a specific offence to assault NHS workers, whether they are doctors, nurses or paramedics. Will we consider extending specific offence to our hardworking NHS staff?’ MP Oliver Dowden asked during recent Prime Minister's Questions. He was assured that the Health Secretary would look into specific reported cases. Meanwhile, the question compelled me to look at the related news and statistics over the past few years.
The physical hazards of working in paramedicine are manifold. Some, such as the exertion of carrying patients or coming into contact with dangerous chemicals or infections, are better known. Physical assault by patients however, may be a less expected hazard for the trainee paramedic.
Several emergency service personnel report being attacked by the ‘patient’ while on duty. It is not uncommon for the paramedic to be taken to hospital at the end of the shift, be it for a broken jaw or a bruised face while attending alcohol-related incidents.
A rapid staff turnover of the profession means that newly graduated and inexperienced paramedics are often subjected to incidents of questionable safety. They may not know whether it is best to wait for security personnel or to proceed with paramedic duties. Stories of physical assault in recent years are also likely to deter members of the public to join the already scarce paramedic forces.
A steady rise in physical assault over the past 5 years has prompted small-scale trials to make work environment safer for paramedics. Emergency services from some UK councils map 999 calls to areas of high, moderate or low risk. Security personnel accompany paramedics depending on the area. In Scotland, the Police, paramedics and firefighters have joined forces to raise public awareness about assault on emergency forces. Officials regretted having to spend as much time worrying for safety of their staff as they did caring for patients, and said that the niche skills of their highly qualified members were often wasted in cleaning up after an inebriated patient.
South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) and a few other ambulance services are considering use of body cameras for their paramedics. Similar measures have proven effective in parts of Australia and America.
Additional security and CCTV cameras may be effective in prosecution of the attackers, but it is more advisable to raise awareness about the impact that these incidents have on emergency services. Considering the continuous rise in physical assaults on paramedics, a fee or fine for alcohol-related incidents may also be worth introducing as a preventive measure.
It is hoped that the safety of our emergency personnel will improve with joint efforts of law, social awareness, and further training to equip staff to guard themselves against assault while on duty.