East Mids Healthcare Staff Attacked

14 November 2011, 07:36 | Updated: 30 March 2016, 13:50

Capital's found out that healthcare staff and ambulance workers were attacked more than 3,000 times in the East Midlands in the last year.

An East Midlands paramedic has told Capital staff have been bitten, kicked, punched and threatened with knives while responding to emergency calls.

Simon Harris from East Midlands Ambulance Service told us many of the attacks are alcohol or drug related:

"We've had people bitten, we've had people punched in the face, threatened with knives; quite big carving knives.

"For the individual concerned that's a horrific experience to go through.

"When you're going to a call you expect to find someone in need of help, you don't expect 'you' to be needing the help afterwards."

Simon has told Capital they will go to the police and courts to get justice with some staff needing time off to deal with what's happened to them:

"There have been occasions where people have stood down from doing front-line operational duties because of that.

"We do have staff that take time off afterwards and we have to support them through that, through counselling and close supervision and support to get them back into work."

Paramedic talks to Capital about staff attacks.