MORE than 100 physical or verbal assaults were carried out on ambulance crews in the west and south-west of Scotland since the pandemic started in March last year, according to freedom of information statistics.
The west region for the ambulance service stretches from the Greater Glasgow and Clyde region through Lanarkshire and down to Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway, as well as including Argyll and Bute.
And freedom of information (FoI) statistics reveal that there were 133 physical or verbal assaults carried out on ambulance crews in the West region over the last 12 months.
That compares to 89 in the east of Scotland and 32 in the north.
The figures were uncovered in an FoI request by the Scottish Conservative Party.
The party’s Dumbarton constituency candidate and current West Scotland MSP Maurice Corry said: “There is absolutely no excuse for attacking our ambulance crews in the Dumbarton constituency and across the West of Scotland.
“During the pandemic over the last year, they have been under even more pressure.
“We must send out the strongest possible message that these assaults simply won’t be tolerated.”
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