NEW figures show 140 ambulance staff were injured on duty in Gloucestershire since 2022, with varied reasons given including assault and manual handling.

Figures obtained by Personal Injury Claims UK found in 2022/23, 50 South Western Ambulance Service staff were injured whilst working in Gloucestershire, which is the highest number of injuries in the past three years.

In 2023/24, there were 44 injuries recorded and over the past year, the service has seen an increase, with 46. Concerningly, the data found ‘violence and aggression’ was the fifth most common reason for injury.

UNISON National Ambulance Officer Sharan Bandesha said: “No one should be attacked for simply doing their job. Ambulance workers who respond to emergencies, from heart attacks to car crashes, are trying to save lives.

“Rising pressure on the health service has created a toxic environment where violence and abuse are becoming far too common. This is unacceptable. Staff are being left traumatised, injured and even forced out of roles, which makes the workforce crisis worse.”

Nationally, figures from the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives revealed over 20,000 incidents of violence, aggression and abuse were directed at staff across the fourteen UK ambulance services in the 2024/25 financial year.

Staff often face a high risk of injuries, both physical and psychological, due to the nature of their work. Manual handling tasks, such as lifting and moving patients, account for a large number of these injuries as they can lead to strains and sprains.

The most common manual handling injuries are musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), which can affect a person’s movement. A report written by the Health and Safety Executive in 2016 showed an estimated 8.8 million working days were lost due to MSDs.

Staff can also experience psychological distress, including post-traumatic stress disorder, due to exposure to trauma and violence.