A spokesperson for the College of Paramedics said: “The release of the NHS Staff Survey today makes for grim reading. No paramedic or frontline worker should be subject to physical violence, sexual harassment or discrimination whilst carrying out their duties. All abuse is extremely harmful, it is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

“Medical professionals work diligently to serve their patients and their community, they deserve respect, and they must be able to deliver emergency care safely.

“Over recent months, we have engaged with hundreds of our paramedic and learner members about their experiences of physical violence, sexual harassment and racism, and the toll it takes on their health and wellbeing. It’s the reason we are so focused on working with key stakeholders to improve the workplace culture, and why the NHS Sexual Safety Charter is so important for all NHS staff. The launch, this week, of TASC’s Ambulance Staff Sexual Safety Support Service, their new confidential listening ear phoneline, is another welcome resource which will help ensure safety for all those who work in the ambulance service.

“We continue to urge our members to report any incidents of violence, harassment or discrimination that they may encounter. And the College remains dedicated to enhancing the health and wellbeing of our members through the Rejuvenate. Thrive. Breathe paramedic wellness programme which we have offered since 2021. This programme has provided crucial psychological wellbeing support to paramedics, helping them navigate the challenges that often accompany their vital role.” 


Press release below;

One in seven NHS staff (14.38%) experienced physical violence from patients, their relatives or other members of the public in 2024, according to the latest annual NHS Staff Survey.  
 
The report reveals attacks on staff has increased since 2023 (13.88%) – though numbers are below the record levels seen between 2020 to 2022 during and following the pandemic.  
 
Staff experiencing discrimination at work reached its highest level in five years (9.25%), with more than half (54.09%) saying the discrimination they received from patients and the public was based on their ethnic background.  
 
One in 12 (8.82%) NHS workers experienced unwanted sexual behaviour – including offensive comments, touching and assault. The proportion of staff affected remains similar to the level reported in 2023 (8.79%) when the question was first asked.  
 
The National Education and Training Survey, which has also been published today, found that 13% of learners experienced or witnessed unwanted, harmful or inappropriate sexual behaviour by patients.  
 
The NHS launched a new national sexual misconduct policy framework in October to ensure NHS trusts had robust policies in place to allow NHS staff to report incidents of sexual misconduct anonymously.  
 
Every ICB and NHS Trust in England has signed up to the NHS Sexual Safety Charter, which commits them to a zero-tolerance approach to letting unwanted behaviours go unaddressed within the workplace.  
 
Dr Navina Evans, Chief Workforce, Training & Education Officer for NHS England said:
 
“It’s totally unacceptable that NHS staff are facing physical violence, sexual assault and discrimination from patients and the public while at work – and I’d urge anyone affected to report incidents to their employer and the police.  
 
“We know that the most important way to stamp out incidents of unacceptable behaviour is to give people the confidence to report it, and it is important that the voice of every member of NHS staff is heard through these surveys and acted upon.  
 
“The NHS Sexual Safety Charter has also now been adopted by every Integrated Care Board and NHS Trust in England to enforce a zero-tolerance approach to letting unwanted behaviours go unaddressed.” 
 
Nearly three quarters of a million people (744,358) took part in the 2024 NHS Staff Survey – the highest ever level in staff in its 20-year history, and over 43,500 took part in the National Education and Training Survey.  
 
The surveys give a snapshot of what it’s like to work in the NHS, right from the beginning of our colleagues’ careers, throughout their working lives, and into retirement, and are used by NHS organisations to make things better for staff and patients.  
 
The annual staff survey also found that the number of NHS workers satisfied with flexible working options is at its highest level in five years (57.65%) while those achieving a good home and work life balance is at its highest since the question was first asked in 2021 (56.61%).  
 
Staff satisfaction with levels of pay has risen from 25.48% in 2022 to 32.05% in the latest survey, and satisfaction with line managers has also continued to rise with seven in ten workers (72.72%) saying they feel valued at work.  
 
The NHS Staff Survey 2024 is available at https://www.nhsstaffsurveys.com/  and the National Education and Training Survey is available at https://www.hee.nhs.uk/nets-2024 . 

Ambulance staff have to endure a lot to do the job they love. Long hours, shift work, high-pressure situations, and very difficult callouts. However, many ambulance workers are also experiencing a range of sexually inappropriate behaviour from the public, their colleagues and managers, including harassment, bullying and assault. 

• In 2023, almost a third of ambulance staff reported experiencing sexual harassment while at work
• A report in 2024 found “the NHS is failing to protect trainee paramedics from widespread sexual harassment”
• Female paramedics are much more likely to experience sexual harassment and assault than their male colleagues

TASC is a national charity dedicated to providing independent and confidential support to help the UK’s ambulance family when they’re struggling with their mental, physical and financial wellbeing. Many ambulance workers come to TASC because they don’t feel comfortable approaching their employer.

Karl Demian, CEO of TASC, explains what the charity is seeing:

“Around 1 in every 7 people we help has been affected by a sexual safety issue in some way, with around 70% being women. The issues we see range from harassment or sexually inappropriate behaviour from a colleague that’s been dismissed as banter to sexual coercion from a manager or even sexual assault from a patient.”

Karl continues:

“Much of the existing external data focuses on paramedics and staff out on the road, but we see people from all walks of life being impacted by sexual safety issues, including staff in the dispatch centre and support offices and even student paramedics. 1 in 10 students that come to us are for reasons related to assault or bullying from colleagues.”

Today, TASC is proud to announce the launch of the Ambulance Staff Sexual Safety Support Service, their new confidential listening ear phoneline. The service is available to all UK ambulance workers and student paramedics who have been impacted by a sexual safety issue, regardless of the perpetrator. The service aims to provide a safe space and a compassionate ear for staff and students to go to when need to talk. Key features of the service include:

• An independent and confidential listening ear phoneline staffed by trained TASC employees who have extensive experience supporting ambulance workers. 
• A dedicated webpage full of information and resources to support people who have been impacted by a sexual safety issue and guidance on how they can raise the issue with their employer if they wish to.

The Ambulance Staff Sexual Safety Support Service phoneline is available Monday – Friday, 10am – 3pm at: 0333 038 6573. Alternatively visit www.theasc.org.uk/SafeSpace. 

Karl Demian said:

“At TASC, our services and new developments are constantly being led by our clients’ experiences. Sexual safety is a deep-seated cultural issue in the ambulance sector, and in wider society at large. While we can’t fix the issue, we can provide a safe place for staff to go to talk, decompress and be empowered to take back control if they wish to. We can also use our learning from this service to work with our partners and influence policy within the ambulance industry to implement effective and long-lasting change.” 

Tracy Nicholls, Chair of TASC and Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics, said:

“The UK’s ambulance sector continues to face serious concerns about unacceptable sexualised behaviour which affects many staff members, particularly women, but not exclusively. In my substantive role at the College of Paramedics, we have engaged with hundreds of our paramedic and learner members about their experiences and I fully welcome this much-needed service to provide vital support during a particularly vulnerable time. 

As TASC’s Chair, I continue to be amazed at the incredible work the team are doing to support our ambulance family, and I encourage everyone to support and raise awareness of this new resource for all ambulance staff and student paramedics.” 

The development and launch of this new service has been supported by the Association of the Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), who have made it a key priority to work with all NHS ambulance services to reduce misogyny and create meaningful cultural change to ensure all employees, volunteers and learners are treated with respect and are able to undertake their roles safely.

Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE said: 

“Sexual safety is a key priority for AACE and its members and we are very pleased to welcome this excellent new TASC resource which will help ensure that the ambulance service becomes a place of safety for all. Nationally AACE is working with all NHS ambulance services to address outdated, culturally inappropriate behaviour and reduce misogyny while improving sexual safety for employees, volunteers, learners, and members of the public alike.”

Jason Killens, Chair of AACE and CEO of Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust said:

“TASC’s new sexual safety support service has been co-developed by the voices of lived experience, the courageous people who underline why it is so important that we collectively confront abusive behaviour whenever and wherever it occurs. Senior ambulance leaders are more committed than ever to improving workplace culture and will welcome this fantastic new resource that will provide invaluable support to those who have endured this type of inexcusable behaviour.”

One of the service’s biggest supporters is Bron Biddle, Reducing Misogyny & Improving Sexual Safety Programme Lead at AACE. Bron has been affected by sexual harassment and founded the lived experience community Ambulance Voices, which recently fundraised £1,530 to support the launch of TASC’s new service. Bron said:
 
“Our improved understanding of why someone acts out sexually, the power imbalance that this behaviour is likely to occur in, and how culture can invisibly enable this, has moved the sector into a much more informed place of preventing the whole spectrum of sexual violence from boundary-violating comments to assault, but there remain significant challenges in resetting cultural norms.
 
National ambulance initiatives to support this significant cultural shift include comprehensive development and learning for colleagues in sexual safety related roles, the establishing of community of practice that has four nation representation and the continued listening to those affected, including learners. 
 
The need for this fantastic new offer from TASC has never been greater, and on behalf of those affected, thank you for supporting this incredibly urgent issue.

Story by HSJ full story can be viewed here - Expert review concludes NHS ‘got winter it prepared for’ | News | Health Service Journal

A new plan authored by six leading expert groups and shared exclusively with HSJ has concluded the NHS “got the winter it prepared for” and warned poor standards of urgent and emergency care has been “normalised and accepted”.

The plan, which calls for major reform of urgent and emergency care, has been jointly produced by leaders from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, the Royal College of GPs and the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, among others.
The proposals are being published ahead of the government’s anticipated UEC “improvement plan” for the sector which is due imminently and also comes with the NHS in the midst of yet another winter capacity crisis.

The groups conclude in the review, titled Our Urgent and Emergency Care Improvement Proposals, that poor care is being “normalised and accepted as inevitable as part of the expected annual ‘winter crisis,’” which has left staff “exhausted and demoralised” by their working conditions.

The expert groups, which also include The Patients Association, College of Paramedics and the National Association of Primary Care, say the urgent and emergency care system “remains fragmented and disjointed” and hard for patients to navigate. A joint statement on the proposed reforms adds that primary care “does not have the capacity to meet its patient demand,” the NHS is not “pro-actively” looking after the most frequent users of urgent and emergency care, and emergency departments have become “hugely congested” due to a lack of patient flow.

The centrepiece of the proposed reforms is the establishment of a “single ED service” but they also call on the government to put extra resource into primary care, by ensuring the uplift in funding it promised in 2025-26 “does translate into the ability of practices to employ more GPs”.

Other proposals include making flu vaccinations available “to a much broader group than currently defined”, subject to approval by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation. They also include providing every older person in a high-risk group with a “full health MOT” every year, conducted by integrated neighbourhood health teams. This proposal would mark a more pro-active, community-based approach to risk assessing elderly patients – which are at greater risk of harm from long A&E waits.

The groups also say care and nursing home residents “should have the NHS delivered to them,” an approach led by GP and community teams as their first point of contacts for “most urgent care episodes,” rather than 999. They have also called for an OPEL-style national alert system for GP services to flag unsafe levels of workload.

The government’s UEC improvement plan is expected to be released by early March.

Kamila Hawthorne, chair of RCGP, said: “When general practice is properly resourced, our service can alleviate pressure across the whole of the NHS and provide cost-effective care closer to home, where patients want it. “With the right time and support we can work with patients to prevent health conditions reaching the point where emergency care is needed. This is why the college has supported the government’s aspirations to shift more care into the community – but this must be resourced appropriately.”

NHS England said: “We agree with many of these proposals to help improve care, which is precisely why, in preparing for this winter, we have focused on providing more care in the community and integrating urgent and emergency care services, alongside primary care, as well as making the most of tools like same day emergency care and care transfer hubs to boost patient flow.”
NHSE added it will “soon publish” its UEC improvement plan, which along with the awaited 10-Year Health Plan, would “deliver much-needed shifts from hospital to community and from treatment to prevention.”

We are honoured and extremely proud to announce today that His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales has become Patron of the College of Paramedics.

The patronage reflects His Royal Highness’s continued admiration and respect for the UK’s medical and emergency services community. As a former Air Ambulance Pilot who worked for East Anglian Air Ambulance from March 2015 until July 2017, the Prince has seen first-hand the unique clinical expertise, decision-making skills and versatility paramedics possess and the enormous contribution they make to our healthcare system.

During his time with East Anglian Air Ambulance, His Royal Highness piloted operational missions out of Cambridge Airport, as part of a team including specialist doctors, critical care paramedics and pilots providing emergency medical services across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Tracy Nicholls OBE, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales as our new Patron. His remarkable achievements and unwavering commitment to the health and wellbeing of our members and all emergency service personnel align perfectly with our mission to shape the future of the paramedic profession. His unique understanding of the role paramedics play in benefiting society will be instrumental in this partnership. Having his support will undoubtedly raise the profile of our work, and that of our members, and inspire others to join us in making a difference. This is a transformative moment for the College of Paramedics, and we look forward to the exciting opportunities ahead under his patronage."

Today’s announcement comes at an exciting time for the College of Paramedics. Last February, the charity was granted the Charter of Incorporation by His Majesty King Charles III and next year the organisation will celebrate its 25^th anniversary; two key milestones in the College’s history which help reflect the rapid growth, development and value of our modern paramedic profession.

The College of Paramedics began life as the British Paramedic Association on December 14, 2001, when it was established as the professional body for paramedics in the UK. Three years later, the organisation rebranded itself the College of Paramedics and within 15 years of its inception, the College had 10,000 members. This figure has continued to grow over the years and now stands at more than 20,000 members.

Since its early days, the College has been instrumental in developing the paramedic profession and was responsible for writing the first standards of proficiency for paramedics in 2004, introducing the British Paramedic Journal, presenting the first paramedic curriculum framework in 2006, raising the threshold for entry to the Health and Care Professions Council’s register to degree status and achieving independent prescribing for paramedics. The College of Paramedics continues to work with governments and stakeholders across the UK, making sure the profession is represented and that our members have a strong voice.

Jon Price, President of the College of Paramedics said: “On behalf of all our members, it is such a privilege that HRH The Prince of Wales has agreed to serve as our Royal Patron. Given his experience as an Air Ambulance Pilot, The Prince has an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the work paramedics do and the difference they make to their patients’ lives on a daily basis. We know that his patronage will be a real moment of pride for our members, and I look forward to working together to further strengthen and support our profession.”  

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) play a critical role in improving the health and well-being of individuals across the country. Their contributions to public health are increasingly recognised, as they embed prevention and health promotion into their daily practice. The below article is from the Allied Health Professions Federation to update on the progress and impact of the UK Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Public Health Strategic Framework (2019-2024).

The impact report of the UK Allied Health Professionals (AHP) Public Health Strategic Framework (2019-2024) was published in January and demonstrates the significant progress made by the AHP community to embed public health into practice.

The 2019-24 UK AHP Public Health Strategic Framework was the first example of a collaborative four nation professional approach to public health for allied health professionals.  It was developed by the UK nations and the AHP professional bodies to provide a vision and plan to develop the AHP role in public health, build on the evidence base, and embed the principles of public health across the AHP workforce. 

Our vision for the 2019-2024 strategy was for AHPs to improve population health; public health to be a core element of all AHP roles; and the impact of AHPs on the population’s health and reducing health inequalities to be increasingly recognised. 

Our goals were:
1. The AHP workforce will have the skills, knowledge, and behaviours to promote, improve, and protect the health and well-being of individuals, communities, and populations.
2. AHPs will be able to demonstrate their contribution to improving population-level health outcomes through robust evaluation and research. 
3. AHPs will be recognised as valuable public health experts through ongoing profile raising of the AHP contribution to public health. 
4. Effective relationships will exist between AHPs and system leaders at local and national levels to make the best use of AHPs to improve public health and reduce health inequalities. 
5. The expertise of AHPs will be used to protect and improve the health and wellbeing of the health and care workforce.

The impact report describes progress against each of these goals with some notable examples outlined below. 
● Public health pre-registration curricula guidance for AHPs published by the Council of Deans for Health
● 100% of HEIs now include public health in AHP pre-registration education.
● 31 AHPs have undertaken population health fellowships, and 12 are part of the specialist public health training programme.
● The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has introduced standards relating to public health.
● Increased access to public health placements in pre-registration education
● 4 evidence reviews have been published demonstrating the impact of AHPs in public health.
● More than 80 AHP public health case studies have been published.
● Profession-specific descriptors of public health have been developed with the Royal Society for Public Health to support clinicians to understand how to embed public health in the context of their role.
● Over 25 high-impact examples of AHPs leading or contributing to public health priorities, e.g. vision screening, environmental sustainability, health inequalities, falls prevention, work, and health.

These successes are a direct result of the independent and collaborative approaches taken by AHP teams, their professional bodies, and partner organisations.

This framework represented a key step in a collaborative approach to improving public health across the UK—a journey that the AHP community is both leading and being recognised for. For this leadership role and the successes demonstrated, we want to thank the AHP community for the exceptional achievements displayed both locally and nationally. The time, energy, and individual contributions made by AHPs across the UK have brought us one step closer to building a stronger public health workforce.

We recognise that more work remains, and that prevention is one of many priorities for AHPs. We know from our recent survey, undertaken as part of the development of the new AHP public health strategic framework, that a focus on public health is important to AHPs. We are therefore committed to facilitating and supporting AHPS and their teams to continue the impactful work they have delivered, the work they are capable of, and the work they aspire to achieve.

The creation of the new 2025–2030 UK AHP Public Health Strategic Framework will support the AHP community in continuing the excellent work already demonstrated. It will enable AHPs to enhance public health, promote and implement a prevention-focused approach, and reduce health inequalities in their local communities and nationally as part of their day-to-day roles.

New data from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) has revealed a grim forecast for UK ambulance services, with over 20,000 incidents of violence, aggression, and abuse against ambulance staff expected in the 2024-25 financial year. This marks the highest rate ever recorded in the sector, equating to at least 55 ambulance workers being abused or attacked every single day.

Reported incidents include kicking, punching, slapping, head-butting, spitting, verbal abuse, and sexual assault, ranging from common assault to serious attacks involving weapons. However, many assaults remain unreported, meaning the true figure is likely even higher.

These concerning statistics come following the busy festive period, with AACE data indicating over 5,000 incidents are expected across December 2024, January, and February 2025 alone. December is a particularly challenging month due to the prevalence of alcohol during Christmas and New Year celebrations.

Jason Killens, AACE Chair and Chief Executive of the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust, condemned the rising abuse:
“It is with huge regret that we see the level of violence, aggression and abuse across all UK ambulance services increasing and that frontline clinical employees as well as call handlers are affected. This unacceptable behaviour has a major long-term impact on the health and wellbeing of ambulance people who are simply trying to do their jobs and help save lives. This is why we are making a plea to the public to ensure that our staff are treated with the respect they deserve, especially during the busy festive period. We are also asking the judiciary to use their full powers under the Assaults on Emergency Workers Offences Act 2018 legislation to ensure appropriate sentences are handed out consistently to those found guilty of committing these crimes against our workforce.”
Killens urged the public to treat ambulance staff with the respect they deserve and called on the judiciary to enforce the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Act 2018 to hand down consistent, appropriate sentences to offenders.

Disturbing Trends in Abuse

AACE data highlights alarming increases in violence against ambulance workers over recent years:
• In 2021/22, 15,430 incidents were reported.
• This rose to 15,857 in 2022/23 and then surged by 23.8% to 19,633 in 2023/24.
• By the end of September 2024, midway through the current financial year, 11,817 incidents had already been recorded—61% of the previous year’s total—putting the sector on track to surpass 20,000 for the first time.

Alcohol remains the most significant factor in these assaults, followed by drug use and mental health crises. Disturbingly, there has also been an increase in assaults where race and sexuality are cited as aggravating factors.

Anna Parry, Managing Director of AACE, emphasized the personal toll on ambulance employees:
“These new figures highlight the upsetting fact that ambulance employees face the very real possibility of being subject to violence or abuse each time they start a shift. This can have a significant and lasting impact on wellbeing and sometimes even lead to people leaving the ambulance service. Our ongoing #WorkWithoutFear campaign is shining a light on this alarming issue and raising awareness of the negative impact of this behaviour on our people, while a significant amount of work is ongoing within ambulance services to help better protect our workforce.”

Steps to Protect Ambulance Staff

In response to the escalation in violence, UK ambulance services are implementing various initiatives alongside the #WorkWithoutFear campaign to reduce the frequency of assaults and support those affected. These measures include:

• Dedicated violence prevention teams established within each NHS ambulance service. 
• Body worn video cameras being piloted and evaluated in all NHS ambulance services. 
• The establishment of a centrally coordinated violence dataset that enables each ambulance service to report the type and frequency of assaults in a more consistent way, giving a greater foundation and better understanding of the prevalence and reasons behind violence and aggression directed at ambulance people. 
• A successful ‘restrictive interventions’ training programme giving ambulance people safer ways to protect themselves and patients in potentially volatile situations. 
• Counselling and other forms of talking therapy and support for employees who have been subjected to violence and aggression; the sector continues to work hard to find new and innovative ways to provide better post-incident support for its people. 

The public can show their support for ambulance staff by using and sharing #WorkWithoutFear on social media and learning more at www.aace.org.uk/vaa.


Richard Webber Highlights the Issue on BBC Breakfast

Richard Webber from the College of Paramedics appeared on BBC Breakfast on Sunday, 5th January 2025, to discuss these alarming figures and highlight the impact of violence on ambulance staff. During the interview, Webber urged the public to reflect on the harm such behaviour causes to those dedicated to saving lives and emphasized the importance of respecting emergency service workers – as it is “simply unacceptable”.

 

On Saturday the 4th of January, at 8:11am, Tracy Nicholls OBE, Chief Executive of the College of Paramedics, appeared on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme to discuss the immense pressures facing paramedics on the frontline.
 
The interview shed light on the challenges posed by ongoing critical incidents declared across hospitals and trusts, an incoming cold snap, and a surge in flu cases leading to increased hospital admissions. Tracy provided a candid insight into the current realities for paramedics and the impact on patient care.
 
Listeners were given an understanding of what to expect in the coming days, as Tracy emphasised the strain on emergency services during this difficult period. The College of Paramedics continues to advocate for the wellbeing of paramedics and the essential support needed for them to deliver care under such challenging conditions.
 
For those who missed the interview, it’s available to listen to on BBC Sounds - it starts at 1:11:01 into the programme.
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m0026mvz

On Monday 2nd of December, the College submitted our response to the UK Government’s 10 Year Health Plan Consultation, contributing to Change NHS: help build a health service fit for the future 

Over 230 members responded to our survey about the consultation, and we also met with members during online engagement sessions to talk in more detail about the ambition to reform the NHS in England. Thank you to everyone who shared thoughts and experiences with us, which have been used to form our response.

This is just the start of our involvement with Change NHS, we will keep up you up to date and involved along the way.

Click here to read our response

Paramedics are often required rapidly to form a team in a high stakes situation such as response to a cardiac arrest. The team may include those we have never before worked with, or even those we would rather not work with…but to achieve a good outcome for the patient, we must work through the challenges and be the best team we can be. The College of Paramedics, in collaboration with e-Learning for Healthcare and Dynamic Business services, has created a unique e-learning session which allows you to immerse yourself in the dynamics of a team coming together to manage a sudden cardiac arrest, overcoming differences and distractions to work together effectively. 
 
Human factors: Management of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest is available now at https://portal.e-lfh.org.uk/Component/Details/844116. It can be worked through on any computer or mobile device, or as a fully immersive experience, if you have access to a virtual reality headset.

If you are new to e-Learning for Healthcare, create your account here http://support.e-lfh.org.uk/get-started/registration. If you do not have one of the recognised email suffixes such as .nhs.uk or .ac.uk, please see guidance here on how College Members can create an account. If you need further support please email education@collegeofparamedics.co.uk