How many attacks there have been on ambulance personnel in each year since 1999 and how many prosecutions have resulted from those attacks.

Attacks on NHS staff who aretrying to help people is not acceptable in any circumstances. This is why we havespent over £700,000 on projects aimed at reducing violence and aggression over thelast few years.
The centrally collected data available on violence and aggression related incidents can be seen on the ScottishHealth Statistics website under workforce statistics, www.isdscotland.org/workforce. the Scottish Ambulance Service recently provided locally held information on recordedviolent or abusive incidents under Freedom of Information from 2002:
Year
| 2002
| 2003
| 2004
| 2005

Incidents
| 1
| 1
| 97
| 258


The rise in reported numbersof incidents is thought likely to be as a direct consequence of increased staffawareness, better reporting and ambulance staff no longer being prepared to seeviolent or abusive behaviour as being just part of the job.
It is not known how many of theseincidents resulted in prosecutions. However, since the Emergency Workers (Scotland) Actcame into force in May 2005, 116 charges are known to have been raised concerningambulance service staff. 39 of the charges have resulted in a guilty verdict, 13not guilty, six have been dealt with in a non-court disposal and 58 are still beingdealt with.