Covid: Fears of Christmas spike in emergency worker attacks

There are eight attacks on emergency workers every day on average, according to new figures.

The 1,400 in the first half of this year saw workers headbutted, kicked, punched and coughed at, while 21 involved weapons being brandished.

Ambulance staff said they had seen people's tempers get worse during the pandemic, with one who was attacked, saying crews are "struggling".

There are fears there will be an even bigger spike in assaults at Christmas.

Paramedic Lisa O'Sullivan admitted being "stunned" after being spat at while treating a patient in Cardiff city centre.

She believes there is a link between people being more abusive and the pandemic, adding: "I wasn't sure whether he had Covid-19 or if he had any other blood-borne diseases for that matter, so it was quite frightening."

Assaults on medical workers rose by 35% from 428 in the year to June 2020 to 576 this year, however, statisticians at the Welsh emergency services said some of this increase was due to improvements in the data collection.

Police officers experienced an 11% increase (1,672 to 1,853), firefighter attacks rose from 45 to 49 (9%), while in prisons, there was a drop from 98 assaults to 90.

A man was jailed for an attack on paramedic Katie Stapleton after she responded to a call about an unconscious man at a Bridgend supermarket.

As they tried to lift him, he started punching her to the chest and left her colleague with a "thick lip".

She added: "We tried to restrain him, and as we were trying to do this, his partner, who was seven months pregnant, tried to jump on my colleague's back.

"If we had let this gentleman go, there is no doubt he would have carried on attacking us."

Speaking on BBC Radio Wales Breakfast with Oliver Hides, Ms Stapleton said she believed the pandemic increased workloads so much, that crews are struggling.

"It is becoming an occupational hazard, and it shouldn't be," she said.

"We turn up to help and support them so to end up being assaulted by someone that has called you.

"It doesn't bear thinking about, it is really difficult to deal with."

Meanwhile, Caernarfon paramedic Darren Lloyd described an "ambush" on one of his crews recently who were going to a call and were pelted with rocks and bricks.

"Unfortunately these incidents don't have to be down to drink and drugs," he said.

"It is sad and mind-boggling that individuals can behave in such a way."

Figures from the Joint Emergency Services Group in Wales shows the 1,365 attacks in the first six months of 2021 equate to eight a day.

"The Covid-19 pandemic has been a fraught time for all of us, but that's no excuse to assault an emergency worker, who are normal human beings just trying to do a job," said Welsh Ambulance Service chief executive Jason Killens.

"The run-up to Christmas means more people are out enjoying the revelry, and with alcohol consumption comes an increase in assaults, both physical and verbal."

Mr Killens said it was not just physical assaults - with 60 verbal attacks on ambulance control centre staff recorded in the first six months of 2021.

He said abusing a call handler could potentially delay help and warned a crew may have to leave a scene if their safety is compromised.

Almost half (47%) of the assaults in the first half of this year were in south-east Wales - the most were in Cardiff, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend.

Just under a quarter of the attackers were aged 26 to 35, while a third of incidents involved people who had been drinking.

May 2021, the month hospitality reopened in Wales after the second lockdown, saw 281 assaults, the highest number.

Since the start of the pandemic, there have been 36 incidents where a worker has been deliberately coughed at.

Police workers account for two-thirds of the assault victims, averaging 152 every month.

"Assault is a traumatic offence that causes great distress to anyone, and it is no different when the victim is an emergency worker," said temporary chief constable of Dyfed-Powys Police Claire Parmenter.

In September, a man was handed a 26-week suspended prison sentence after attacking two officers who had offered him a lift home.

Also that month, three officers suffered injuries in an unprovoked attack while trying to arrest a man, and he was sentenced to 12 months.

Chief fire officer in south Wales, Huw Jakeway, said: "Our blue light services come to work to serve and protect the public and the impact of such assaults can lead to life-changing consequences for those involved."

NHS Wales chief executive Judith Paget called for respect as workers prepare for a "challenging Christmas period".

Last week, the UK government announced a new law that will mean a mandatory life sentence for those who kill an emergency worker in the course of their duty.

The Ministry of Justice said it would aim to pass Harper's Law in Wales and England - in memory of Thames Valley Police PC Andrew Harper, who was killed in the line of duty in 2019 - as soon as possible.