Assaults on East of England Ambulance staff reach five-year high with highest figures recorded in Peterborough

East of England Ambulance Service staff and paramedics have been physically and verbally assaulted more than 6,000 times while on duty in the last five years, a new investigation has revealed.

New data obtained by Legal Expert has revealed that between 2019 and 2024, a total of 6,073 East of England Ambulance staff and paramedics suffered physical and verbal abuse, with the figure now the highest it has been in five years.

A total of 1,639 incidents of physical assaults against East of England Ambulance staff have been recorded since 2019 as well as 2,081 verbal assaults and 2,353 further instances logged as ‘non-physical assaults.’

In the last year alone (2023/24), the East of England staff suffered 1,396 physical and verbal assaults.

The location with the most number of assaults recorded in the past year across the whole East of England was Peterborough and Cambridge, with 234 assaults recorded, level with Hertfordshire and West Essex.

An East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson said: "“It is unacceptable that our staff can face aggression and violence while helping others.

“These dedicated professionals work tirelessly, often under immense pressure, to provide life-saving care and it is unacceptable for them to face hostility and threats. We are committed to taking a firm stand against any form of aggression toward our staff.

“In the past year we launched a staff safety campaign aimed at equipping our teams with strategies to protect themselves against violence and aggression, including the use of body worn cameras. This initiative is just one part of our broader, long-term focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of our staff.”