A patient assaulted a paramedic in an ambulance in London, pushing him out of the vehicle. The incident was caught on camera installed inside the ambulance and a CCTV in the area. The video was released by London Ambulance Service (LAS) and gained massive traction on social media. The healthcare worker is seen crashing to the ground and holding his elbow. According to the BBC, the clip was filmed earlier this year and also shows the patient getting off the vehicle and walking away.
In a release posted on its website, the LAS said that the patient had earlier verbally abused members of the ambulance crew, and also urinated in the ambulance.
It also said that the police were already outside Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in west London, where the incident took place, and subsequently arrested the patient, who has since been convicted.
"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 30-year-old paramedic is quoted as saying by LAS on the website.
Reacting to the conviction of the patient, the healthcare worker 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 body-worn camera now and I make sure I'm never alone with some patients who I think might be a risk," he added.
LAS said that between April 2022 and March 2023, 561 physical assaults on ambulance crews were reported, with 156 CCTV clips handed to police.
The ambulance service has invested more than 3 million British pounds in fitting video cameras in ambulances, which is aimed at protecting crews.
