South Central Ambulance Service Forced To Blacklist More Homes After Rise In Attacks On Staff

South Central Ambulance Service have been forced to blacklist more homes in Waterlooville and Gosport owing to an increase in attacks on their ambulance staff.

When an address gets ‘blacklisted’ it means that ambulance crews will not attend that address without police assistance.

So if an occupant at such an address needs life-saving treatment, then their previous aggressive and abusive behaviour could mean that they end up succumbing to their injuries/illness.

Ambulance crews should not be expected to attend addresses where they have previously been attacked by residents.

It is only right that ambulance trusts are fully supported in their decision to black list addresses and the residents of such addresses only have themselves to blame when they endure an extended delay after calling for help.

What these abusive and aggressive people do not realise is that during busy periods, the police might not have any units to send to escort and protect ambulance personnel.

And it also means that the decent and upstanding folk who live in Waterlooville and Gosport could also experience an extended delay in the emergency services getting to them owing to resources being tied up when dealing with the individuals who do not appreciate the services of the emergency services.

According to Portsmouth.co.uk :Paramedics in the south are now more likely than ever to be on the receiving end of aggressive behaviour, both physical and verbal, in line with a national trend that saw more than 2,800 attacks on staff in England in 2017.

Figures from the South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) showed that between the financial years of 2015-2016 and 2017-2018 there was a 36 per cent increase in reports of abuse and aggressive or inappropriate behaviour from patients towards staff, from 368 to 499.

A spokesman for SCAS, which covers Hampshire as well as Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire, condemned the rise in abuse.

He told Portsmouth.co.uk:

‘Our staff continue to suffer completely unacceptable verbal and physical abuse whilst at work and trying to ensure patients get the help they need.

‘SCAS will work closely with local police forces in the South Central region to secure appropriate sanctions against anyone who verbally abuses or physically assaults our staff.’

Nine addresses within the SCAS remit were also red-flagged between the financial year of 2017-2018, indicating that staff should only attend that address with prior police presence. The locations of these marked addresses include Gosport, Waterlooville and Southampton.

Some NHS Ambulance Trusts have now equipped their staff with body worn video cameras so that anyone who assaults or abuses ambulance staff can be successful brought before the courts.

There is never any excuse to attack or abuse ambulance staff.

The men and women in the ambulance service dedicate their lives to helping others.

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