The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has today (Thursday 1 May 2025) published an update to its prosecution guidance on assaults against emergency workers, which has been welcomed by AACE on behalf of the UK ambulance sector.
The guidance is expected to deliver swifter justice in many cases for emergency workers who are assaulted while carrying out their duty, by empowering prosecutors to select the charge that best fits the seriousness of the case – including those which can be dealt with more swiftly in the magistrates’ court.
Anna Parry, Managing Director of the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives said:
The Association of Ambulance Chief Executives has welcomed the opportunity to work with Crown Prosecution Service and police colleagues to support the development of these new prosecution guidelines.
We hope they will lead to more perpetrators of violent assaults against our people receiving appropriate punishments in a much faster timeframe than is often currently the case. Delayed and inappropriate sentencing long after the crime has been committed can leave victims of violence unable to recover and find closure, as they wait for justice to take its course.
UK ambulance services now have the highest rate of reported incidents of violence, aggression and abuse directed at their people ever recorded – with 22,536 incidents across the fourteen UK ambulance services in the 2024-25 financial year. This is an increase of almost 15% on the previous year, and a trend that is unfortunately increasing.
This is why it is now more important than ever that we find new ways to develop more effective deterrence measures. These new guidelines can help to enable stronger sentencing where it is appropriate and give victims a stronger voice by encouraging prosecutors to take victim impact statements into account when selecting charges. We hope all of this will lead to swifter justice for our people who experience these horrific crimes.
