Ambulance service steps up action on violence against staff

South East Coast Ambulance Service says fresh action to tackle violence and aggression against ambulance staff is already leading to improvements, following a review by its staff Shadow Board.

The Shadow Board, which provides staff insight and constructive challenge to the SECAmb Trust Board, carried out a detailed review of violence and aggression experienced by colleagues. A report presented to the Trust Board on August 6 outlined action taken following recommendations made in February, including closer working with police and mental health services, improved integration between teams, better access to body-worn cameras and increased training.

SECAmb chief paramedic officer Jaqui Lindridge said the Shadow Board’s work was helping improve staff safety, while group chair Colin Dennis said its scrutiny had led to improvements in how violence and aggression is tackled. Recorded incidents more than doubled from 752 in 2019 to 1,529 in 2024, before falling slightly to 1,421 in 2025.