I was attacked by the person I was Treating.

Unfortunately, as we have reported before violence against our staff is far too common. Staff who are abused and attacked when they are trying to help people is disturbing. However, while we encourage them to report it, incidents don’t always result in a prosecution.

Emergency Medical Technician (EMT2) Debbie from Northwich is encouraging her colleagues to speak up, so perpetrators don’t get away with it. Last summer she was punched in the face by a patient who she had treated just moments before.

“We got him on the stretcher ready for transport to hospital but realised he was facing the wrong way. So, between me and my colleague, we tried to turn him around. As we did that he sat bolt upright and threw a fist right at my face. He then ran off down the road, coming out of his “seizure” very quickly. Then threw himself on the floor a hundred metres on the road.”

Debbie reported it to police officers who came to the scene and took a statement. In December she received a phone call confirming the man pleaded guilty to assault against an emergency service worker and received six months suspended sentence, six months on a community payback scheme as well as three months wearing a tag and a three-month curfew and ordered to pay her £200 compensation.

“I understand it can be difficult to get a conviction to stick, and I’m very satisfied with the sentence. I hope it serves as an example that you can get justice. Attacks on ambulance staff are awful. I hope the person involved in mine now thinks twice about doing it again and all his mates that know about his conviction would think twice as well.”

“There have to be consequences. He could’ve caused me a more severe injury, I’m glad he didn’t but he could have. I’ve seen it with my colleagues and in the press, paramedics being stabbed and punched… all sorts. It shouldn’t be tolerated. We need to take the time to report these crimes as it can make a difference.”