Paramedic Megan Bateman experiences some form of abuse at least once or twice a week. (Photo by Katya Minns)

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St John WA paramedics and ambulance drivers have become increasingly more at risk of workplace violence from physically and verbally abusive patients, according to statistics.

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SafeWork Australia revealed that violence against paramedic’s cases has severely increased from five to 40 cases per year, and the rate of violence has doubled from six to 12 cases per million cases per year.  

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Curtin University student Steph Miller* has been volunteering for St John as an Event Health Officer and said the work environment was mentally draining due to confronting scenes.

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“Sometimes patients become extremely violent when being treated due to being under the influence of excessive drugs or alcohol and often direct this to paramedics,” Miss Miller said. 

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“In some cases, paramedics can get seriously injured which is really unfair on the paramedics who are just trying to do their job and help someone in need,” she said. 

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With around 949 metropolitan calls a day, 40 per cent were related to drug or alcohol intoxication. 

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Due to Australia being a methamphetamine hotspot, the drug is often a massive contributor to violence against paramedics. 

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With the increasing numbers of methamphetamine use, so are the numbers of patients under the influence of ice becoming extremely violent towards paramedics. 

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St John Paramedic Megan Bateman said the majority of patients who were physically or verbally abusive were under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

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“They lash out and don’t know what they’re doing so they get very violent and very aggressive,” Ms Bateman said. 

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“It’s an organic cause to that so there’s not a lot you can do, you just got to get them to the hospital."

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“You have to be extremely cautious when attending a scene where you aren’t sure if someone is going to be calm or dangerous,” she said.

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Around 1.3 million Australians above the age of 14 have taken methamphetamine, while 68 per cent of this statistic is continuous use. 

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Violent episodes from methamphetamine users increase during the holiday season when Australian's are consuming more alcohol than usual and mixing it with ice. 

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Almost everyday a paramedic is physically or verbally abused, with the majority not having any action taken or reported. 

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Ms Bateman said the job was emotionally and physically draining, with violent attacks on paramedics being the most draining. 

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“The violent side of the job is very mentally draining, at the end of the day I just want to go home my family,” she said. 

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Ms Bateman credits paramedic’s and ambulance driver’s hard work of dealing with this factor of their jobs, as it’s not something they should have to encounter on a regular basis. 

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“They’re working harder than ever with the increase in consumption of drugs and alcohol so they definitely need the credit they deserve.”

 

*Name changed due to privacy reasons