North Down ambulance staff attacked by patient

Q Newsdesk

Ambulance staff in North Down have been attacked by one of their patients.

Three crew members were assaulted last night by a young man, allegedly under the influence of drugs.

He attacked one of the paramedics in the back an ambulance which was transferring him to hospital from Newtownards.

The worker suffered injuries to their back and shoulders, leaving them unable to finish their shift.

The level of ambulance cover in the area was compromised as a result.

A statement from the NIAS said:

Three crews were on duty in the area but by 10:30 this had effectively been reduced to one as staff were being assessed in the Ulster Hospital ED for injuries sustained and were unable to continue with the rest of their night shift.

NIAS responded to a 999 call for a young male who was reportedly under the influence of drugs. While being transported to ED he attempted to assault the Paramedic in the back of the ambulance who sustained back and shoulders injuries.

At the Ulster Hospital ED another crew came to assist their colleagues with the patient who became violent, kicking out and injuring another two crew members. It eventually took six people, including PSNI and South Eastern Trust security staff, to restrain him before he was taken into the department.

 NIAS Chief Executive, Michael Bloomfield said:

“I am appalled that, for the second consecutive weekend, NIAS staff have been subjected to an attack in the North Down area leaving them unable to continue with their duties which are so much relied upon by the community. The men and women of the Ambulance Service leave their homes and families to go and serve the most vulnerable in our community when they most need it. These patients include those who may have suffered cardiac arrest or been involved in serious Road Traffic Collisions and who have families who need our skills and support. We cannot provide our service if staff are taken off shift as a result of injuries sustained from assaults, and once again ambulance services in this area were considerably reduced last night as a result of this attack.

My immediate concern is for those staff who were the victims of last nights incident. While their injuries are not serious, I am concerned about the long term emotional impact.  While we will do all we can, as an organisation, to support them in their recovery, the solution to this lies within society as a whole. These attacks are totally unacceptable and, while thankful for their support to date, I would appeal to parents, guardians, community leaders and others with influence to redouble their efforts in helping us protect our staff through engaging others on this issue. Once again, I would also re-iterate our view that those who commit such attacks should face the full rigour of the law, including custodial sentences.”