29 November 2023 , 13:02
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Shocking footage has captured the horrifying moment a patient pushed a paramedic out of an ambulance after urinating inside the vehicle.
London Ambulance service released the video which showed the 30-year-old paramedic falling to the ground outside of Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, in west London, earlier this year. The abusive patient then hopped out of the ambulance and casually walked past the paramedic who was on the floor clutching onto his arm.
He said he felt a "sharp pain" after crashing onto the ground. “It was very painful – so much so I thought I had broken my arm at first. There was such a sharp pain and then numbness," he explained.
Cameras inside the vehicle captured the assault (London Ambulance Service)Luckily, the police were already on the scene and subsequently arrested the patient. He has since been convicted and was told to pay the victim compensation.
The paramedic said: “I’m glad this went to court because it reminds people this an unacceptable way to treat us and needs to be stopped. We come to work to help people, not for this. I always wear a body-worn camera now and I make sure I’m never alone with some patients who I think might be a risk.” Before the assault, the patient hurled homophobic language at the ambulance crew because both men had long hair. He then urinated inside the ambulance.
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The paramedic said his arm felt 'numb' after he was pushed to the ground (London Ambulance Service)Chief Paramedic Dr John Martin commented: “Our ambulance crews and call handlers come to work to help Londoners at times of need. It is one of the best jobs in the city but we cannot, and will not, accept violence or physical threat towards them. Working with our partners, we will do everything possible to keep them safe, including securing convictions where possible.”
In the last year, there were 561 reports of physical assault on ambulance crews. It was reported 38 of them had successful prosecutions. In the same year, the ambulance service filed 156 clips of video evidence to the police.