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Attitudes towards protecting Emergency Medical Services (EMS) staff from violence and aggression: a survey of adults in Wales
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Daniel Tod,
Francesca Fiorentino ,
Peter O’Meara ,
Lauren Williams,
Julia Williams ,
Claire Hawkes
BMJ Open, Volume: 15, Issue: 4, Start page: e092949
Swansea University Author: Daniel Tod
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DOI (Published version): 10.1136/bmjopen-2024-092949
Abstract
Objective: To explore the Welsh public’s views of violence and aggression (V&A) directed at EMS (emergency medical services) staff, awareness of policy changes and the reach of media campaigns. Design/setting/participants: Survey involving non-probabilistic purposive sampling of 1010 Wales adult...
| Published in: | BMJ Open |
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| ISSN: | 2044-6055 2044-6055 |
| Published: |
BMJ Publishing Group
2025
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| Online Access: |
Check full text
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| URI: | https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa69365 |
| Abstract: |
Objective: To explore the Welsh public’s views of violence and aggression (V&A) directed at EMS (emergency medical services) staff, awareness of policy changes and the reach of media campaigns. Design/setting/participants: Survey involving non-probabilistic purposive sampling of 1010 Wales adults (aged 18+) from a matched panel, representative of the population, derived from a UK YouGov panel of >360 000 adults registered. Results: Most (62.5%) participants had heard of V&A directed towards EMS staff; 81.1% had heard about it through the media. 21.0% of participants had witnessed V&A towards EMS staff; younger participants were more likely to have witnessed an incident 18.7% via a social setting and 81.1% through the media. 90.4% disagreed with the statement that V&A towards EMS staff can be acceptable in some cases, and 53.3% were not aware of related media campaigns. Participants thought intoxication with alcohol (92.4%), drugs (90.5%) and altered mental status following illness and/or injury (84.3%) would likely contribute to V&A towards EMS staff. 22.0% of participants were aware of the Assaults on Emergency Workers Act. Although I thought the act was unlikely to deter perpetrators who were intoxicated with drugs (75.2%), alcohol (75.2%), with altered mental status following illness and/or injury (75.6%) or other member of the public (42.4%). Younger participants were more likely to think the act would deter those intoxicated with drugs, alcohol, with altered mental status following illness and/or injury and other members of the public. Those with social grades of C2/D/E thought the act was likely to deter those intoxicated with drugs. Conclusion: There is good public awareness of V&A directed towards EMS staff in Wales who find it unacceptable. Our survey found limited awareness and perceived effectiveness of related legislation and media campaigns in the last 2 years. Participants thought legislation would not deter those intoxicated with drugs, alcohol or altered mental status. Therefore, we recommend further research to understand and develop evidence-based interventions for these groups of people. We also recommend amplifying messages targeted towards young people and through social settings where V&A may be encountered. |
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| College: |
Faculty of Medicine, Health and Life Sciences |
| Funders: |
The study was funded by Wesh Ambulance Services pathway to portfolio funding. |
| Issue: |
4 |
| Start Page: |
e092949 |