Case summary • An ambulance in Skien was recently attacked by a person with a sword. No one was injured.• The number of cases where paramedics are subjected to violence and threats is increasing, and the Ambulance Association reports a tougher weekday.• Lack of insurance leads to fewer exercises in real situations for paramedics, according to the leader of the Ambulance Association.• Labor and the Ministry of Inclusion is now investigating whether the scope of occupational accidents should be changed, something that may have something to say for ambulance personnel.• The ambulance service at Telemark Hospital has a great focus on looking after the employees, among other things through conversations after difficult situations. The summary is made by an AI service from OpenAI. The content is quality assured by news’s journalists before publication. The situation suddenly became very dangerous. When the ambulance arrived at the address at Falkum in Skien, they were met by a person with a sword. Those involved threatened the ambulance workers and hit the car. The police in the town eventually had to use electric shock weapons to gain control of the situation. No persons were injured. Ken-Willy Rødberg, paramedic at Telemark Hospital, admits that he can get scared at work. – It is in those situations where we are threatened by patients. Sometimes he gets scared at work. Photo: Fredrik Pedersen / news Scary development The incident from Skien is not unique. Last year around 788,300 ambulance missions were carried out by car, air ambulance and boat in Norway, figures from Statistics Norway show. In an increasing number of cases, employees are exposed to violence and threats, and the number of incidents is increasing. The Ambulance Association is experiencing that the weekday has become much tougher. – It is tragic that we have reached where we are today, says manager Ola Yttre. It has not been many years since the ambulance could be left with the doors open. Leader of the Ambulance Association in Delta, Ola Yttre. Photo: GEIR OLAV SLÅEN / news – We were the helpers, and were respected for it. This is no longer the case, he believes. – We have daily incidents of violence, and sometimes murder. After all, we are involved in many of these episodes, and then practice is needed. They don’t get enough of that as it is today, and the reason is often a lack of insurance, according to Yttre. The police and the defense have this during the exercises, but not those who work in the ambulance service. It also means fewer rehearsals for real situations, he experiences. – Ambulance personnel should be trained to deal with all situations when we see how society develops with violence and threats. In some places, five or six years have passed between such exercises, according to the association. In addition, there are several places where substitutes are not required to attend rehearsals. Investigating whether it should be changed All workers in the country, including paramedics, have occupational injury insurance. However, the police and correctional services are entitled to full compensation for injuries resulting from compulsory organized training. It does not apply to paramedics. The Ministry of Labor and Inclusion is now investigating whether the scope of occupational accidents should be changed, writes State Secretary Ellen Bakken in an e-mail. Ellen Bakken from the Labor Party is state secretary in the Ministry of Labor and Inclusion. Photo: Andreas Lekang / news Because there are some who may experience that the injury is not approved as an occupational injury. – A possible change in occupational accident coverage could therefore be very important for each individual, not least in professions where the working day is fraught with risk. Recorded figures on incidents of violence and threats against paramedics Health Stavanger HF – So far this year there have been 50 cases. Last year there were 45 cases. Helse Førde HF – So far this year there have been 4 cases. Last year there were 6 incidents. St. Olavs Hospital HF – 11 incidents so far this year. Last year there were 18 incidents. Helse Nord-Trøndelag HF – So far this year there have been 25 cases. Last year there were 19. Nordlandssykehuset HF – So far this year 9 cases. Last year there were 11. Oslo University Hospital HF and Akershus University Hospital HF – So far this year there are 78 cases. Last year there were 82 cases of violence and threats. *with reservations. The hospital in Vestfold HF – 19 cases so far this year. Last year there were 11 cases. Sykehuset Østfold HF – 10 incidents so far this year. Last year there were 24 incidents. Vestre Viken HF – So far this year 33 cases. Last year there were 65 cases. Helse-Midt Norway – 11 incidents so far this year. Last year there were 18 incidents. Sørlandet hospital HF – So far this year, there have been 31 incidents. Last year there were 39 incidents. Helse Fonna HF – So far this year there have been 5 cases. Last year there were 4 incidents. Helse Bergen HF – So far this year, there have been 41 incidents. Last year there were 50 incidents. Helgelandssykehuset HF – So far this year, one incident of violence has been registered. Last year there were none. Finnmarkssykehuset HF – So far this year, one incident has been reported. Last year, only one case was reported. Universitetssykehuset Nord-Norge HF – No reviews in the last two years. Under ten events in total. Sykehuset Innlandet HF – So far this year there have been 11 incidents. Last year there were 19 incidents. Sykehuset Telemark HF – Six incidents so far this year. Last year, seven were registered. The hospital points out that they are probably under-reporting abusive behavior and threats, based on the feedback from staff. Some of the numbers must be taken with a delay, as they may be double-registered. Increasing trend Back in Skien, Rødberg can tell about an increasing trend after 25 years behind the wheel of an ambulance. Part of the reason is that there are more psychiatric assignments than there were before, which are often solved in collaboration with the police. – The police operations center is good at using us in these types of assignments, so we get the security we need, he underlines. Photo: Fredrik Pedersen / news Out of consideration for their own safety, the ambulance never moves forward before the police are on the scene. Occasionally, however, Rødberg and his colleagues work in unsafe places. It could, for example, be a violent incident on the street, where they work with an injured person and have to have their backs to the rest of the world. You never know what can happen. – There is always room for improvement, and the ministry is working on this. We hope that there will be other remedies that can help us in the future, he says. It’s important to talk together They have a great focus on looking after the employees at the ambulance service at Telemark Hospital, says head of department Knut Inge Skoland. Knut Inge Skoland is head of department for the ambulance service at Telemark Hospital. Photo: Fredrik Pedersen / news If the ambulance workers have been in difficult situations, they make sure to talk about what has happened, and try to comply with what they need in terms of assistance. – We have a large apparatus at the hospital, with everything from colleague support to company health services. Hello! Thank you for reading. Do you have an input or an idea after reading this case, or do you have tips for something else I should write about? Feel free to send me an email. Published 08.11.2024, at 05.04
ttn-69
Ambulance personnel are subjected to violence and threats at work – news Vestfold and Telemark – Local news, TV and radio
