Ambulance crews blacklist violent patients

Feb 26 2009 by Edward Chadwick, Birmingham Mail

THE of homes of violent patients in the West Midlands have been put on an out-of-bounds blacklist for paramedics unless they have police back-up.

Ambulance crews have been told not to enter the homes of 63 people with histories of violence or sex crimes. The figures have been released amid soaring levels of assaults on medics across the region.

Liberal Democrats obtained the statistics under the Freedom of Information Act and say the addresses make up a total of 7,500 where 999 workers are at risk of violence.

The party’s health spokesman, Norman Lamb, said all frontline ambulance service staff should be given protective body armour.

The West Midlands Ambulance Service had one of the lowest numbers of addresses listed as dangerous. London Ambulance Service and the North West Ambulance Service have blacklisted 1,900 and 3,071 addresses respectively.

WMAS said it had seen a 48 per cent jump in assaults on its staff last year and had made 28 successful prosecutions against thugs.

Murray McGregor of WMAS said: “It’s a disappointing reflection on society that we have to do this but our staff must be able to get on with their job without the risk of attack or feeling threatened.

“We will only flag an address where it is justified and the list is under constant review. It is unacceptable that our staff should be in fear.”