Ambulance workers in Scotland are facing “unacceptable levels” of violence and abuse, health service leaders have warned, after new figures showed a sharp rise in recorded incidents over the past year.
Data covering the period from December 2024 to November 2025 shows that 369 members of staff from the Scottish Ambulance Service were either physically assaulted or verbally abused while on duty. This represents an increase of 11 per cent compared with the previous year.
Nearly 200 staff were physically injured during incidents, including cases where workers were spat on, kicked, punched or threatened with weapons. A further 177 ambulance workers were subjected to verbal abuse.
Gillian Sommerville, a technician based at Leven Station in Fife, described a violent incident she experienced while working a night shift. She said she and her crewmate were called at around 2am to assist an unconscious man.
“When we arrived, there were also three other males in their mid-teens who appeared to be under the influence of unknown alcohol or drugs and were confrontational,” she said. “Due to the freezing temperatures, we quickly lifted the patient in the vehicle. The three friends then started shouting and banging on the ambulance and rocking the vehicle.”
Ms Sommerville said the situation escalated moments later. “Minutes later, the back door and side door were opened and two of the friends jumped in shouting at us. I was wedged at the top of the trolley as the third friend tried to grab me through the window. I tried to continually push him off. My partner was stuck between two of the friends near the back of the vehicle and they were shouting in her face.”
As the patient regained consciousness, his friends attempted to pull him off the trolley, prompting Ms Sommerville to call for urgent police assistance. She later suffered an arm injury and spent several months undergoing physiotherapy. Three of the men involved were arrested, and the patient later assaulted a police officer while in hospital.
A regional breakdown of the figures shows 155 incidents were recorded in the west of Scotland, 146 in the east and 56 in the north.
Michael Dickson, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said, “The fact that our staff face daily violence, verbal abuse or aggression is completely unacceptable.
“These incidents can have a significant and lasting impact on our people, sometimes even leading them to leave the ambulance service.”
He added, “They have the right to carry out their work helping patients and saving lives without fear of assault or abuse and we will continue to work with Police Scotland, like we have done on this occasion, to take action against perpetrators.”
The figures have renewed calls for greater protection for frontline NHS staff, amid concerns that rising abuse is placing additional strain on already stretched emergency services in Scotland.
