Increased prison sentences for assaulting ambulance crews

A new bill has been given Royal Assent, increasing the maximum prison sentence for assaulting emergency workers from six months to one year. This change specifically applies to assaults on members of the emergency services, including ambulance crews.

The Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill now includes sexual assaults as aggravating features of attacks, further enhancing the legal consequences for offenders.

Since April this year, East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) staff have reported 476 assaults, including five incidents involving spitting, five involving knives, two involving firearms, and three involving racial abuse. In 2017/2018, the service recorded 969 assaults, with 320 incidents involving alcohol.

Mark Ward, Security Management Specialist for EMAS, said: “We welcome this development and I hope the increase in sentencing will act as a greater deterrent to anyone who thinks of lashing out at our crews. Assaults on our staff are absolutely unacceptable and we take a zero tolerance approach towards anyone who verbally, physically or sexually assaults them.”

EMAS frontline colleagues, 999 control room teams, and volunteers spend their days helping the public. They deserve to be treated with respect, and EMAS will continue to work with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to prosecute those who abuse them.

Assaults can have a significant impact on ambulance crews, including injuries from the incident, stress, emotional and psychological issues in the longer term which can affect home life. In some cases, where spitting has occurred, staff may need to attend A&E for blood tests and may require a course of antibiotics.

Assaults can also impact the level of service provided by EMAS. After an incident, staff are taken off duty to receive treatment, support, and make statements to the police, reducing the number of ambulances available to respond to emergencies in the East Midlands.

Ultimately, an assault experienced by one of our crews can lead to a decline in confidence, skilled professionals leaving the ambulance service, and a reduction in the quality of service provided for our communities.

Additional figures show that in 2017/2018, there were 969 assaults, including 101 physical assaults where the frontline crew member was injured, and 12 incidents of sexual assault. Of all the assaults, only 13 offenders received custodial sentences, and four received suspended sentences.

From April 2018, EMAS staff reported 476 assaults (389 incidents) compared with 439 (340 incidents) in the same period in 2017. Since April, there have been 51 physical assaults where our staff were injured.