Seven London ambulance workers abused a day – violence at highest rate ever recorded

Attacks on crews and call handlers at London Ambulance Service have increased by more than 10 per cent in the last year.

The shocking new figures show that there are around seven physical or verbal attacks on ambulance crews or those taking 999 calls in London every single day – the highest rate ever recorded.

Incidents include kicking, punching, slapping, spitting, verbal abuse, threats, and sexual assault, and range from common assault to significant serious attacks involving a multitude of weapons.

Last month London Ambulance Service released body worn camera footage showing patients spitting and assaulting staff. Both offenders were prosecuted.

The Service has published the figures as data from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives revealed that there is expected to be more than 20,000 attacks on ambulance workers across the country this financial year.

It is understood that some assaults go unreported and the true figure is higher.

London Ambulance Service Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles said: “We encourage anyone who is abused at work to come forward and there is a team to support them.

“This level of violence is shocking and unacceptable and we will continue to pursue prosecutions and strong penalties for those who assault our people.

“These figures illustrate the very real threat staff in the ambulance sector face when trying to care for people.

“Not only is violence and abuse devastating for the victims, but there is a wider impact on communities when that person needs time off to recover and is away from the front line.”

Analysts at London Ambulance Service have found that more than 40 per cent of the 616 physical assaults on staff so far this financial year* involved drugs or alcohol.

As a result of the escalation in violence and abuse, NHS ambulance services have prioritised the safety of their people and are trying – through the #WorkWithoutFear campaign – to change behaviour among those who might carry out these assaults or become abusive.

London Ambulance Service was the first ambulance trust to introduce a dedicated Violence Reduction Unit to support colleagues to report crimes and work closely with police to ensure abusers are prosecuted where appropriate.

Body worn cameras are available for crews to wear and ambulances are fitted with crew safety systems which include CCTV and an electronic tracking system. All ambulance crews have portable radios to call for urgent help.

*There were a total of 1816 physical and verbal attacks on London Ambulance Service from April – December 2024. This is a 10.4 per cent increase for the same period in 2023.