Pubwatch launches support for abused ambulance staff

The partnership with the High Wycombe Pubwatch comes after ambulance staff in the area reported 115 counts of physical assault and 166 incidents of verbal abuse in the past 12 months.

Pubwatch will promote a new poster campaign to highlight the safety problems faced by front-line ambulance staff, and the scheme is hoped to spread to other Pubwatch groups.

Steve Baker, chair of National Pubwatch, said: “Ambulance staff have a difficult job and can often find themselves dealing with incidents where the patient or bystanders may have been drinking or taking drugs. In such circumstances, people do not always act responsibly. Ambulance staff should be able to work safely in the street or licensed premises without having to watch their back.

Minimise

“Licensed premises are highly regulated and supervised environments and while I do not believe that the blame can be laid solely at their door, I think we have to show that we are doing everything possible to minimise antisocial behaviour and improve safety for everyone working and socialising in our town centres.”

The initiative is being piloted in High Wycombe with the support of National Pubwatch.

If the initiative is successful, a generic version of the poster will be made available to all Pubwatch schemes.

Charlie Abbott speaking on behalf of High Wycombe Business Improvement District Company, which manages the High Wycombe Pubwatch, said: “At a recent Pubwatch meeting, our members overwhelmingly supported the initiative and agreed that they would take action to ban anyone who was violent to ambulance staff or disrupted their work.

“Licensees rely on ambulance staff to provide their employees and customers with a good level of care and we think it’s important that we do our best to ensure that they can work in a safe environment.”

Dave Baker, a paramedic team leader based in High Wycombe, added: “We are really pleased to be working with Pubwatch on this initiative. Our personnel have to deal with emotionally charged incidents on a daily basis.

“Unfortunately, alcohol or drugs can heighten the tension and intoxicated people can just see a uniform without appreciating  that our sole focus needs to be on the injured or sick patient. It can be extremely disheartening for our staff to have to worry about their own personal safety when they may be trying to save someone else’s life.”