RCSEd Response to the Assaults on Emergency Workers (Offences) Bill
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In response to the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill, RCSEd President Professor Michael Lavelle-Jones said:
“RCSEd supports a new bill to deal with assaults on Emergency workers. Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda, has put forward a private members bill which proposes longer prison sentences for those found guilty of attacking emergency service workers. The legislation would double the maximum sentence for common assault against NHS staff from six months to one year in England and Wales.
Physical assaults on NHS staff rose by 4 per cent from 67,864 in 2014/15 to 70,555 in 2015/16, according to NHS Protect, an NHS body which was axed last year. There have been a number of media reports recently highlighting abusive behaviour against NHS staff including individuals leaving abusive notes on ambulances and verbally abusing ambulance crews which no NHS staff should have to deal with. We hope that this Bill will become law and deter such behaviour in the future.”
