Female paramedic Emily Jackson, 31, has been on the front line for eight years and has sadly become used to the abuse she and her colleagues receive – but wishes it was not the case
A young female paramedic has shared the ‘chilling’ death threats and abuse she endures from patients, which she says escalate around the festive season.
Emily Jackson, a seasoned paramedic of eight years, concedes that receiving abuse from those she is trying to assist has sadly become an almost expected part of her role – a reality she wishes were different.
The 31-year-old recalls experiences with patients that have even led her to question whether it’s worth continuing in the profession after one incident he describes as a “horror film”.
In one harrowing incident leading up to Christmas, a man punched Emily in the face before staring her down and threatening to rape and murder her.
The shocking event left her reeling and triggered a breakdown a few days later.
Instances of abuse like this tend to spike towards the year’s end, when many overindulge in celebrations and mistreat emergency service workers.
During a disturbing episode at a hospital in February 2024, Emily was issued a chilling death threat by a male patient she’d been summoned to assist.
Video footage of the incident captures Emily backing away with an iPad the patient has just smashed as he bellows at her: ‘I will kill you!’.
“He tried to kick and punch me, shouted that he was going to kill us both and smashed my iPad on the floor,” Emily revealed.
“[This kind of abuse] is not a daily occurrence, but it has happened more than once, and I think that’s the same with most of my colleagues.”
In a separate incident just weeks before in December, Emily and her crew were dispatched to a pub in Uxbridge, West London, to help a man who had reportedly lost consciousness due to alcohol and drugs.
Emily likened what happened next to a ‘horror film’.
While the man appeared docile initially, he lashed out at Emily with a punch to the face upon regaining consciousness, later returning with threats to rape and murder her.
“At first he was quite calm, but after a few more minutes he became really angry and agitated,” Emily recalled.
“He was making threats of a sexual nature towards me and started getting physically aggressive towards people who were trying to help.
“I got struck below my right eye, and once he’d calmed down, he looked me in the eye and said, ‘I could rape you and dump your body in an alleyway’.
“I just felt my stomach drop and a chill go down my spine. I started crying but didn’t want him to see me, so I turned my back to him.”
Officers were eventually summoned to handle the patient, who received an eight-month prison sentence for his behaviour.
Emily received support from her team, but tragically suffered a breakdown following the ordeal. “It wasn’t the first time I’d been attacked at work, and it wasn’t the last,” she added.
“It takes its toll.”
A recent staff survey conducted by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) revealed that 44% of employees had been sexually harassed by patients or members of the public.
Furthermore, another 53% confessed to having been violently assaulted while on duty.
Drugs and alcohol are also implicated in approximately 40% of violent incidents.
Every Christmas, Emily and her colleagues on duty are compelled to handle abuse that they regrettably acknowledge has become part of their roles nowadays.
Explaining why situations worsen during the holiday season, Emily said: “I think it’s a mixture of things.
“A lot of people are out celebrating. They go out, have drinks and drugs, and that increases the risk of us coming into contact with abuse.
“It’s meant to be a festive, happy time of year, but it isn’t always for us. Most patients are really nice, but there’s the odd person that goes the other way.”
Although she faces threats and hostility in her daily work, Emily reveals that any consideration of leaving has only ever been fleeting.
“Most of us are in the job because we genuinely want to help people,” she said.
“It’s a really rewarding job most of the time. But being disrespected in a professional capacity when we are trying to help adds another level. My mum is a worrier. After these incidents, you do feel rubbish and think, ‘Why go back out?’.
“But I really love my job and can’t think of anything else I want to do. Your colleagues provide a next-level support system. A lot of us have shared experiences and we all talk it out together and have a deep conversation about it. The good still outweighs the bad.”
Emily and her team are advocating for more consistent sentencing for those who assault emergency service workers, arguing that these offenders often face less severe penalties than those who attack the general public.
“A lot of people get suspended sentences,” Emily said
“I think [attacks on emergency workers] can be shrugged off.”
“I think it can be seen as part of the job, but obviously it’s not and shouldn’t be seen that way.”
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) has released footage of abuse towards their staff as part of its ‘All we want for Christmas is… Respect’ campaign.
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