CCTV footage shows a patient assaulting a paramedic – leaving him such pain he thought he had broken his arm.
In the footage – released by the London Ambulance Service (LAS) – a man can be seen pushing the worker out of the door of an ambulance.
The 30-year-old victim lands on top of his arm and is seen writhing in pain.
The LAS said the patient also urinated in the ambulance and shouted homophobic abuse at other male staff because they had long hair.
The footage was passed to police and he was subsequently arrested. The patient was later taken to court and ordered to pay a fine.
The incident took place outside the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital earlier this year.
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“It was very painful – so much so I thought I had broken my arm at first. There was such a sharp pain and then numbness,” the paramedic said.
“I’m glad this went to court because it reminds people this an unacceptable way to treat us and needs to be stopped.
“We come to work to help people, not for this. I always wear a bodyworn camera now and I make sure I’m never alone with some patients who I think might be a risk.”
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Between April 2022 and March 2023 the LAS reported 561 physical assaults on ambulance crews, with 156 pieces of CCTV handed to police.
But because offenders are often able to avoid court on medical grounds there were only 38 successful prosecutions.
Despite this LAS has invested £3m to install CCTV inside its vehicles.
Chief Paramedic Dr John Martin commented: “Our ambulance crews and call handlers come to work to help Londoners at times of need.
“It is one of the best jobs in the city but we cannot, and will not, accept violence or physical threat towards them.”
