'Please don't be mean' - ambulance staff kids

Sophia (9) and sister Isabelle (7) backed the video campaign.

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CHILDREN of ambulance staff in Oldham have backed a campaign to prevent violence towards their parents.

It comes as verbal abuse and aggressive incidents towards ambulance staff increased by 27 per cent between 2014/15 and 2015/16.

The North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and children of parents working for the trust have called on residents to consider the person 'Behind the Uniform'.

Their campaign, which includes video releases, aims to highlight that NWAS staff are just like other residents, with homes, friends and families, and that acts of violence will not be tolerated.

Leon Chipman (7), from Oldham, showed support for his dad Brian Chipman who is an emergency medical technician and mum Angela who is an emergency medical dispatcher.

He said on the NWAS video campaign: "I don't like it when people are mean to my mummy and daddy.

"My daddy works at night. He is kind to people so please don't be mean to him."

There were 608 reported incidents of verbal abuse and threatening behaviour towards ambulance staff between 2014 and 2015, compared with 755 between 2015 and 2016.

The number of physical assaults rose by five per cent over the same time period, with 390 incidents recorded between 2015 and 2016.

Videos describe incidents where staff members were thrown from the back of ambulances, threatened, kicked and punched while carrying out their roles.

Most of this violence was directed at emergency crews but staff working for the non-emergency patient transport service, call centres and 111 operators have also been targeted.

The majority of assaults were found to occur on Saturdays between 6.30pm and midnight, with alcohol and drugs being a large aggravating factor.

Daughters of Oldham-based 111 call handler Andrew Pilling, who helps those in need of medical assistance, supported the campaign by participating in a video.

Sophia Pilling (9) said on the awareness video: "I don't like it when my daddy comes home sad."

Sister Isabelle Pilling (7) also said: "I don't like it when people shout at my daddy."

A dedicated group, made up of frontline staff, managers and union representatives, has been formed to tackle the issue of violence and aggression against NWAS employees.

Staff are being encouraged to report all incidents, no matter how minor, and materials containing advice on what to do when faced with assault are being made available.

NWAS chief executive Derek Cartwright said: "In my role, there is nothing worse than being told that one of our staff has been attacked while trying to do their job and hearing the views of their children really brings it home.

"Our staff are not just paramedics, technicians, despatchers or 111 health advisors - they are mums, dads, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters.

"There is more to them than a uniform or voice on the telephone and for them to have to go home to their families hurt or upset is not acceptable."

Staff will be using the hashtag #behindtheuniform on social media to share about their lives outside of work in efforts to remind residents that there is someone behind the uniform.