NOBODY should fear being attacked while doing their job, especially those in the public sector whose job it is to look after others.

Our Freedom of Information request revealed that paramedics across Oxfordshire were attacked 40 times in the last four years. Any number is shocking and the implications to other patients has rightly worried those made aware of the numbers.

As Unison branch secretary Gavin Bashford points out, any time an employee is involved in an incident they have to investigate and potentially take the ambulance off the road.

The ambulance service’s recruitment crisis has been well-documented in recent months but future employees should not let this put them off what can be an incredibly rewarding job.

Of course they are dealing with some of the most vulnerable and injured people while out on the frontline and witness all types of incidents. The service’s decision to mark certain addresses with a ‘red flag’, meaning more protection for paramedics, is welcome, and there’s no doubt the issue is being taken seriously.

But perhaps the public needs to have more awareness and respect for those who put themselves at risk to help others.