A stark warning has been issued to Christmas revellers as new data reveals the alarming level of violence and abuse feared by the UK's ambulance crews over the festive period.
Survey Reveals Scale of Fear Among Frontline Staff
A major survey conducted by the GMB union has laid bare the dangers faced by emergency medical staff. The poll, which gathered responses from over 1,100 workers across ambulance trusts in the UK, found that a staggering two out of every three ambulance workers are afraid of being attacked while carrying out their duties this Christmas.
The figures are even more disturbing when broken down. More than 40 per cent of respondents specifically anticipate being physically assaulted. Furthermore, over half expect to suffer verbal abuse from members of the public they are trying to help.
Mental Health Toll on Emergency Services
The impact of this threatening environment extends far beyond physical safety. The survey highlighted a profound mental health crisis within the service. Three in four of the ambulance workers questioned reported that their mental wellbeing had been negatively affected over the past year, a period of immense strain on the NHS.
These troubling findings were made public on Friday 19 December 2025. This date is notoriously known as 'Mad Friday', the last Friday before Christmas and historically one of the busiest and most challenging nights of the year for ambulance and hospital teams.
A Plea from the Frontline
In response to the survey, a paramedic from the West Midlands Ambulance Service issued a direct appeal to the public. They urged people celebrating over Christmas and New Year to consider the welfare of emergency service personnel.
The paramedic described the work as a 'gruelling, relentless struggle', emphasising that staff morale is already critically low. The plea underscores the human cost of this abuse, which risks pushing dedicated professionals out of vital roles and exacerbating the pressures on an already overstretched service.
The combination of anticipated violence, verbal aggression, and the cumulative damage to mental health paints a grim picture for those tasked with saving lives during what should be a time of celebration.
