'Ambulance staff should be able to do their job without abuse or attack'

"Our staff come to work to care for others and they should be able to do this without being abused or attacked

- by Neil Fatkin

The words of North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) chiefs after figures show more than 1,000 paramedics and other ambulance staff have been injured in the line of duty over the last three years.

The figures also show a worrying rise in the number of NEAS staff suffering injuries at work. In 2022-23 there were 330 reported injuries to NEAS staff which rose to 379 in 2023-24. In the last year (2024-25) there has been 415 reported injuries.

Whilst some of the injuries sustained by NHS staff are down to having to lift and manoeuvre patients, an increasing number are also due to violence and abuse from members of the public.

An NEAS spokesperson said: "We have seen a rise in incidents over five years and that's something we take incredibly seriously because our staff come to work to care for others-they should be able to do this without being abused or attacked.