Ambulance trust withdraws stab vest provision forPosted in News on 03/12/2009 21:56
East of England Ambulance Trust has decided to stop providing body armour to its ambulance crews in Essex. This action reneges on the 2006 initiative, which followed the lead taken by London Ambulance and Dorset who already provide this important piece of personal protective equipment (PPE) to their front-line crews. The Chairman of the Association of Professional Ambulance Personnel (APAP), Ian Boothman, said: ”The Trust’s decision to withdraw body armour for its staff in future is difficult to reconcile, as more staff have been assaulted in the last year in Essex than in 2006 when this item of PPE was introduced for serving medics in the county.” Mr Boothman continued: “APAP considers this a retrograde decision by the Trust and seems to reflect a national narrative from ambulance trusts that appear to be in denial over the significant risks that 999 personnel face on a daily basis.” Recently released statistics by the NHS Security Management Service show there were 24 physical assaults on Essex ambulance staff in 2008/9, more than double the 2007/8 total and clearly demonstrates that the risk of injury to those at the cutting edge of our profession remains as high today as in 2006 when Essex Ambulance, before they became part of East of England Ambulance, gave their crews body armour. APAP will be making representations to the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives who have been supportive of APAP’s 12 year-old campaign for body armour with the aim of trying to bring some transparency to this illogical decision. Ends Jonathan Fox APAP Press Officer/State Registered Paramedic Notes for editors: - Essex Ambulance Trust issued their staff with body armour before reconfiguration resulted in it becoming part of the East of England Trust in the summer of 2006.
- APAP has been running a 12-year campaign for the provision of body armour for all front-line crews in the UK.
- Below is a parliamentary question tabled on our behalf in 2007. The Parliamentary question refers to Hansard 15 October 007: Column 905W - Ambulance Services: Protective Clothing
Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requests he has received from ambulance trusts for additional funding for the purchase of stab proof vests. (155977). Mr. Bradshaw: The Department is not aware of having received any requests from ambulance trusts for additional funding for the purchase of stab proof vests. Ambulance staff across the country can have stab vests if it is decided they are necessary by their local NHS ambulance trust, with some ambulance services already having introduced them. - There were 1,006 physical assaults against ambulance staff in England for the year 2006/7 and 1,240 in 2008/9. Source: NHS Security Management Service.
- Historically, ambulance trusts have been the major obstacle to stab vest provision becoming a reality. Despite the covert nature of the vests - they are tailor-made to fit each specific uniform; trusts continue to suggest that these vests are cumbersome and portray the ambulance service in a military light. Some services go further and propagate the view that the wearing of anti-stab vests would encourage personnel to stay on scene and confront an individual brandishing a knife, rather than affecting a speedy withdrawal!
- Simon Hughes of the Liberal Democrats, tabled an Early Day Motion in support of our campaign back in 2001, which received wide cross-party support and they remain supportive of our aims on this campaign.
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