AMBULANCE crews in Glasgow face the threat of violence at more than 800 homes in the city.

 

The number of "at risk addresses" flagged by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) has been revealed following a freedom of information request by the Evening Times.

There are currently 808 homes in Greater Glasgow with "violence warnings", more than every other region in the country.

The figure has risen from 125 addresses in 2012, an increase of more than 500% in only three years.

Ambulance crews in the west of Scotland face the threat of violence at a further 295 addresses in Lanarkshire, 285 in Ayrshire and 246 in Argyll and Clyde.

Paramedics, who asked not to be named, told the Evening Times they often fear for their safety as they try to save lives in Glasgow.

"When I started in the 1980s people never touched ambulance staff but now they don't think twice," said one paramedic.

"It's getting more and more dangerous. I've been attacked numerous times over the last few years and it's all drink-related.

"I've been kicked, punched, spat on and sworn at. It's not necessarily by the patient. It's people who are around the patient too. It's unbelievable.

"One time I was surrounded and I couldn't get away. They were going berserk at me. It triggered post traumatic stress and I was off work for weeks afterwards.

"I'm always on edge now. When I'm told by control that it's an at risk address with a violence warning the stress levels go through the roof.

"And we can't defend ourselves because if that person puts a complaint in against you, you're out the door."

Another paramedic who has worked in Glasgow for more than a decade said: "The abuse is day and daily. It can be verbal, physical, sexual, absolutely anything. Most of the cases are drug and alcohol-related.

"I think it's largely down to the west of Scotland attitude to drink and drugs. It's also a big city with its fair share of social deprivation.

"Although I don't want to stereotype - you'll get the same problems in Newton Mearns and Bearsden."

Paramedics should wait for a police escort but if patients need immediate attention they will often go straight in to a home with a violence warning.

A senior source at trade union the GMB, which represents almost half of an estimated 2,500 frontline ambulance staff in Scotland, said: "There is not a lot ambulance crews can do in that situation. They have a duty of care. They can't just ignore people in their time of need.

"If the crew doesn't give a consistent level of response, they are hauled over the coals and dismissed.

"So, they have got a problem. They have to decide whether to wait for the police escort to arrive or go in.

"If they decide to bypass that warning for whatever reason, they're on their own. They've taken that decision.

"It can be a perilous job. They don't know what they're getting until they go in. It's down to their training and experience whether they retreat."

Scottish Conservative health spokesman Jackson Carlaw said the justice system should come down hard on those who are convicted of attacking ambulance crews.

He said: "This is an utterly depressing insight into what paramedics have to deal with.

"What's particularly galling is many of those who are carrying these threats and attacks are the very ones the ambulance service is trying to help.

"We need to deter this despicable behaviour, and severe punishments for those found guilty of this behaviour would be a good place to start."

A spokesman for the Scottish Ambulance Service insisted the safety of ambulance staff is "paramount".

He said: "Ambulance crews are given training in management of aggression and how to undertake a full risk assessment on arrival at scene to establish if there is any potential danger.

"If any crews feel that their safety may be compromised they are instructed to hold nearby the scene and await support from the police, or additional ambulance crews.

The spokesman added: "As one of a number of protective measures, individual addresses where there have been previous incidents of violence or threatening behaviour towards staff are flagged in control rooms.

"This means that if a 999 call comes in from an address with a warning, dispatchers can identify that staff may be at risk and request additional police support."