Preventing and reducing violence against ambulance staff
NHS England has commissioned AACE to deliver a new Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub specifically designed for NHS ambulance services.
The new Hub is managed on a full-time basis by AACE’s National Ambulance Violence Prevention and Reduction Operational Lead Adam Hopper, with support from National Ambulance Violence Prevention and Reduction Support Officer Clare Barnham, both of whom are employed from NHS ambulance trusts.
The AACE Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub is currently funded until March 2025 and has already commenced a series of workstreams to support the ambulance sector’s efforts to improve staff safety against a backdrop of a worrying increase in all types of violence, assault and aggression being experienced by NHS ambulance staff.
These assaults include kicking, slapping, head-butting and verbal abuse, and range from common assault to serious attacks involving knives, guns and other weapons.
In one incident alone, two paramedics were stabbed so seriously during a routine welfare check on a patient that their attacker was given a nine-year prison sentence.
Incidences on the increase
During the 2023/24 financial year, our data shows a record 17,114 incidents of violence and abuse towards ambulance staff were registered from people they were trying to help, or those patients’ friends and families.
This means that every single day last year, a staggering 47 ambulance staff were abused or attacked – two every hour of every day throughout the whole year.
This represents an increase of 123% in reported incidents since records began eight years ago.
Combating the violence
The AACE Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub acts as a central resource unit for all UK ambulance services where they can:
- DATA & INFORMATION: Share best practice, expertise and information about all aspects of violence prevention and reduction across the ambulance sector.
- EDUCATION: Promote new and innovative ways to extend skills and knowledge across the sector to help combat the challenges of violence and abuse.
- COLLABORATION: Facilitate a culture of collaborative working through several key workstreams assisting and supporting the ambulance sector, providing a consistent process when managing violence and aggression.
Central, consistent support
The AACE Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub is there to support local violence prevention and reduction teams based within each ambulance service. This is done by:
- Assimilation, coordination and consistency when applying the NHS England Violence Prevention and Reduction Standard by designing a bespoke guidance document specifically focused on the ambulance service.
- Developing a process for reviewing resources, systems and processes held within each ambulance service’s violence prevention and reduction team to share learning and evidence based best practice.
- Reviewing and supporting the creation of a national ambulance data set for incidences of violence, assault and aggression.
Education and training
The AACE Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub is also responsible for the following initiatives:
- A bespoke, evidence-based, best-practice training program is being designed and developed with subject matter experts to support the national education network for ambulance services in delivering staff and patient safety training.
- Supporting NHS England colleagues in the design, delivery and evaluation of violence prevention and reduction education programs for the ambulance service.
Learn more about the VPR’s #WorkWithoutFear campaign here.
For any further information, please contact the AACE Violence Prevention and Reduction Hub via adam.hopper@aace.org.uk or clare.barnham@aace.org.uk
