The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) has welcomed the launch of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine’s Safe to Care campaign, which highlights the unacceptable levels of violence, aggression and abuse experienced by frontline NHS staff.
New RCEM survey findings reveal that nearly three quarters of Emergency Department staff experience or witness violence and aggression at least weekly. The findings echo concerns across the ambulance sector, where AACE recently reported a record 22,536 incidents of violence, aggression and abuse against ambulance workers during 2024/25.
Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE, said:
The levels of violence and aggression faced by NHS staff are completely unacceptable and must be treated as a national priority.
Whether in emergency departments, ambulances, control rooms or community settings, no member of staff should come to work fearing abuse, intimidation or assault simply for doing their job.
The ambulance sector continues to see record levels of violence against its workforce, with more than 22,500 incidents of violence, aggression and abuse reported across UK ambulance services in 2024/25 alone. While the final figures for 2025/26 are not yet available, evidence from services suggests the problem has not diminished and continues to have a profound and lasting impact on the wellbeing of our people, staff retention and the resilience of frontline services.
We strongly support RCEM’s Safe to Care campaign and its call for action across government, the NHS and the criminal justice system. Tackling violence against frontline healthcare workers requires a coordinated approach that focuses on prevention, protection, accountability and support, so all NHS staff can provide care without fear.
For more information about AACE’s ongoing #WorkWithoutFear campaign, click here.
