Three West Midlands Ambulance Service staff were injured last night by the patients they were trying to help.

At 9.00pm, an ambulance crew was called by the police to treat a man who had been injured after a fight in Newcastle. Whilst they treated the man for a head injury in the back of the ambulance, he started to become aggressive. In an attempt to get off the ambulance, the man caused injuries to both staff resulting in the paramedic suffering a fractured hand and a technician receiving a facial injury. The man was arrested by police at the scene.

Shortly after 10.30pm another ambulance crew responded to a man suffering breathing problems at an address in Lichfield. Whilst transporting the man to Burton Hospital, he became agitated in the back of the ambulance and assaulted a technician causing facial injuries. The man was later arrested by police at hospital. Nick Henry, the Trust’s General Manager for Staffordshire and Arden said:

“It is hugely disappointing that our staff, who are there to help people in their hour of need, have once again become patients themselves.

"The Trust operates a zero tolerance policy against violence towards our staff and we will be doing everything in our power to help police prosecute these individuals.”