A NEW report shows that South Western Ambulance Service (SWASFT) staff were the subject of 130 assaults over the past year.

This figure represents three assaults for every hundred members of their staff.

A comparatively high total of 30 declared criminal sanctions followed reported assaults on staff.

West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust were the subject of 231 assaults in the same year.

A spokesperson from SWASFT said: “South Western Ambulance Service takes a zero tolerance approach to any form of abuse towards its staff and encourages all incidents to be reported as soon as possible.

“Violence and aggression can come from patients, their friends and family as well as from those not directly involved in the incidents we are called to attend. It can affect our frontline staff responding to emergencies as well as our control room call-handlers.

“Not only do our staff not deserve to be treated in this way but it also prevents them from helping those in need. All reports of violence and aggression towards staff are taken very seriously.

“Frontline staff, including our call-handlers, all receive conflict resolution training. Every member of Trust staff plays a vital role in serving the community by helping to deliver the right care, in the right place, at the right time and staff should be able to fulfil their life-saving role without fear of abuse or assault.”

Richard Hampton, Head of External Engagement and Services at NHS Protect, said: “No NHS staff should be physically assaulted and we encourage staff who are victims of violence to report it, so that appropriate action can be taken.

“While it is encouraging to see the total figure going in the right direction there is no room for complacency after this small reduction in reported assaults.

“We urge all health bodies, in all sectors, to take advantage of the joint working agreement with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service. They can build local arrangements on this national agreement to ensure criminal assaults are identified and do not go unpunished.”

The 2014 NHS staff survey showed a possible 34 per cent non-reporting of incidents of violence so figures may be worse than reported.