WATCH: Shocking moment patient spits in the face of paramedic trying to treat them
18 December 2024, 11:32
This is the shocking moment an abusive patient spits in the face of a paramedic trying to treat them .
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Paramedic James, 26, captured the incident on his body cam before handing it over to police.
In the shocking clip, shared by the London Ambulance Service, a patient is seen rising from the ground before spitting in the face of a paramedic, sending them reeling backwards.
James and his crewmate had been called to treat an unwell patient lying in the street in London.
Shocking video captures the moment patient spits in paramedic's face
Upon approaching the patient he became aggressive and spat at both paramedics, hitting James’ crewmate in the eye.
The crewmate was forced to go to hospital and have his eye flushed, a procedure the LAS described as “painful and uncomfortable.”
Speaking after the incident, James said: “It is frightening when a patient attacks you.
“And spitting is the lowest, most disgusting and most disrespectful thing you can do – not to mention the fear of infection risk. It’s worse than being punched.”
In a separate incident captured by James, a patient became violent after being taken to hospital.
The brutal clip shows her pushing him and even throwing a stretcher at the paramedic.
He said: “She threatened to smash our faces in and found a scoop to throw at us and then a bin.
“You just don’t feel safe in a situation like that. You can see from the video, I had been so close to her trying to calm her.
“When you’re attacked, it’s difficult to want to come back to work but I have a thicker skin now and most patients aren’t like this. Most people genuinely need us and appreciate us.
“I’m glad I was wearing the body-worn camera. I feel like I have a layer of protection with it on.”
Both patients were given suspended sentences after being charged with assault on an emergency worker.
The offenders were both believed to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Chief Paramedic Pauline Cranmer said: “The cameras act as a deterrent to prevent these incidents happening or escalating but when our crews are assaulted, the footage is critical in supporting investigations and securing convictions.
“Cameras act as an independent witness and as a result offenders are more likely to plead guilty. This saves our crews from the ordeal of having to face their attacker in court and it reduces the time needed to prepare for and attend court, meaning we can focus on our job of treating patients.
“We will continue to support staff who choose to wear a body worn camera; violence, aggression and abuse is not part of the job, our staff should not have to face it, they should be able to help people without fear.”
The London Ambulance Service makes extensive use of body-worn cameras, making them available to every crew.
Chief Executive Daniel Elkeles added: “Abusive patients are just a small minority of the people we care for every day but these appalling videos shows the very real threat our ambulance crews face.
“They come to work to help people and deserve to be treated with respect while they do a difficult job.
“Incidents like this don’t just impact the victims, but also the service we provide for our patients. They can mean ambulances being unavailable and often extra crews are needed to help manage these incidents.
“This can delay and divert our crews away from patients who need our help.
“Anyone who does threaten or abuse our people, will risk being prosecuted. We have the technology and the team to pursue offenders and see they are brought to justice.”
