London paramedic 'grabbed by throat' as he helped a patient at roadside

 
Rise in attacks: London Ambulance workers on duty FILE IMAGE: Nigel Howard

A paramedic was grabbed round the throat and feared he would be thrown in front of traffic on the North Circular Road as he answered an emergency call in one of an alarming number of attacks on ambulance staff.

The medic, who was responding to a patient with chest pains, was attacked by a passer-by complaining about the way he had parked his fast-response car on a verge at Neasden.

It was one of five “completely unacceptable” assaults on paramedics in four days. The London Ambulance Service has now warned it will seek prosecutions for all attacks on its staff.

The incident yesterday afternoon saw the “single responder” paramedic — dispatched to serious cases ahead of an ambulance — verbally attacked before being grabbed round the throat and shoved towards the busy A406 carriageway.

A second crew attending the same emergency called the police when they arrived and the attacker was arrested. The patient was taken to hospital. The paramedic was back on duty today.

A second incident at 7pm last night saw a paramedic and an emergency medical technician kicked by a patient in Battersea. She also tried to bite and scratch the crew but they were able to restrain her until police arrived.

Six police cars rushed to help the medics, who had been called to Northcote Road to treat the woman. The woman paramedic was left with bite and scratch marks in the attack while her male colleague suffered minor injuries. The attacker was later sectioned under the Mental Health Act.

Other recent incidents include a medic having hot tea thrown over her while she was trying to care for a patient in West Wickham last Thursday, a female paramedic in Lewisham being punched in the stomach by a patient on Friday and a patient trying to kick, punch and bite an ambulance crew in Fulham on Saturday.

Jason Killens, director of operations at LAS, said: “Attacking my ambulance crews as they go about saving lives in the capital will not be tolerated under any circumstances.

“Medics are already under a great deal of pressure. It is completely unacceptable that they should also face the risk of assault when they go to assist members of the public.”

Mr Killens twice took to Twitter to express his outrage, calling the incidents “five too many” and pleaded with Londoners to respect emergency workers.

There has been almost a five per cent year-on-year increase in the number of attacks on ambulance crews in London, from 395 in 2012/13 to 414 in the 12 months to the end of March.

Last month Adrian Naylor, 35, from Cheshire, was jailed for 56 days for assault after smashing paramedic Shachar Barak in the face with a guitar in the A&E department at University College Hospital.

Mr Killens said: “There is at least one attack a day on ambulance crews in the capital — which is completely unacceptable. I would like to thank our colleagues in the Metropolitan Police for helping to keep our crews safe. We will now be working with them to help secure a prosecution for every single incident.”

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