Scottish ambulance staff 'spat on, punched and threatened with weapons' as incidents of abuse soar
Almost 200 were physically assaulted while on shift.
Ambulance workers in Scotland are facing “unacceptable levels” of violence and abuse according to health service bosses, after new figures revealed the number of recorded incidents increased by more than 10 per cent over the last year.
The figures from December 2024 to November 2025 showed 369 Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) staff were physically assaulted or verbally abused, an increase of 11 per cent compared to the previous year.
Nearly 200 staff members were physically hurt while on shift, including staff being spat on, kicked, punched and threatened with weapons. A total of 177 were verbally abused.
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Gillian Sommerville, Technician at Leven Station, Fife, said she was with her work partner on a nightshift when they received a call at 2am to attend an unconscious male.
She said: “When we arrived, there were also three other males in their mid-teens who appeared to be under the influence of unknown alcohol or drugs and were confrontational. Due to the freezing temperatures, we quickly lifted the patient in the vehicle. The three friends then started shouting and banging on the ambulance and rocking the vehicle.
“Minutes later, the back door and side door were opened and two of the friends jumped in shouting at us. I was wedged at the top of the trolley as the third friend tried to grab me through the window. I tried to continually push him off. My partner was stuck between two of the friends near the back of the vehicle and they were shouting in her face.”
Ms Sommerville said as the patient woke up, his friends tried to drag him off the trolley. She then phoned for urgent police assistance.
Ms Sommerville, who suffered an injury to her arm and spent several months undergoing physiotherapy, said three of the men were arrested and the patient subsequently assaulted a police officer while in hospital.
A regional breakdown of the figures showed there were 155 incidents in the west of Scotland, 146 in the east and 56 in the north.
SAS Chief Executive Michael Dickson said: “The fact that our staff face daily violence, verbal abuse or aggression is completely unacceptable.
“These incidents can have a significant and lasting impact on our people, sometimes even leading them to leave the ambulance service.
“They have the right to carry out their work helping patients and saving lives without fear of assault or abuse and we will continue to work with Police Scotland, like we have done on this occasion, to take action against perpetrators.”