CALLS have been made to introduce tougher sentences for people who attack ambulance staff.
West Midlands Ambulance Service chiefs and trade union leaders have issued the plea after more than 200 cases of abusive and threatening behaviour were reported across the region last year.
Chief executive Anthony Marsh and Unison’s regional organiser Ray Salmon, are also backing the calls, while staff from the service have been campaigning this week to highlight the issue.
The ‘Under Attack’ campaign includes interviews and testimonials about staff experiences and why people should support the move.
Steve Elliker, WMAS security manager, said: “I get frustrated sometimes if I’m being honest with the outcome of a criminal prosecution because there’s always mitigation.
“Some of that mitigation may be something totally out of character; they had a drink, they took some drugs.
“I have a very simplistic view – they had a choice, they decided to drink.
“Our members of staff who attended to them never had a choice, they had to go because they had called 999.
“That’s what angers me more than anything else, that we can’t always get the successful prosecution that we always want.”
Visit www.officialwmas.wordpress.com for more information about the campaign.
