A teenager who fractured an NHS paramedic’s skull with a baseball bat has been sentenced to eight years’ detention in a young offenders’ institute at Preston Crown Court. The prosecution was led by Lancashire Police and supported by North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and NHS Protect.
The 19-year-old pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm with intent and one count of criminal damage after the unprovoked attack on the ambulance worker, who was attending a 999 call-out to the accused mother’s home. The victim was attending the address with a colleague in October 2013, when the ambulance crew had to withdraw for safety reasons and summon police assistance. As they withdrew, the accused felled the male crew member with a baseball bat, hitting him with it again after he fell to the floor. With a fractured skull, the victim had to be assisted into his own ambulance by his colleague and taken to hospital.
Nick Martin, Area Security Manager for NHS Protect, said after the case that the sentence sent the right message that this kind of violent behaviour must not be tolerated. “While this attack is at the extreme end of what NHS workers suffer, all attacks on NHS staff are a disgrace and are not “part of the job”. NHS staff should expect to be able to provide care in a safe environment, free from violence and physical assault. NHS Protect urges employers to take firm action in all cases of assault against NHS staff.”
After the attack, the Local Security Management Specialist (LSMS) for NWAS liaised with staff and their employers, providing advice, support and help with access to services. The LSMS also kept other ambulance staff updated as to the progress of the case, reassuring them that the incident was being taken seriously.
NHS Protect provides support and guidance for Local Security Management Specialists (LSMSs); and trains them to act as advocates for victims and to liaise with police, Crown Prosecution Service and others.
Mr Martin added: “In this case, the LSMS is to be commended for doing so much to support the injured paramedic and his colleague, and with the support of NHS Protect, press for this successful prosecution. The victim and his co-worker have bravely gone through the ordeal of a court case as well as the attack itself. In doing so they have helped defend all NHS staff against violence.”
