AQW 39095/11-15

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 20/11/2014
Answered On Date: 03/12/2014
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Health, Social Services and Public Safety for his assessment of a recent incident whereby an ambulance in Coleraine was attacked by a number of individuals during a call out to a victim of assault.

Answer:

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service has confirmed that an ambulance came under attack while the crew was attending to an injured person in the vehicle. The vehicle was damaged and there was reduced cover in the Coleraine area for a period of approximately two hours due to the incident.

It is appalling that some members of the public should behave in this fashion and such behaviour must not be tolerated. I pay tribute to the professionalism, courage and dedication of the ambulance crew, who resumed duty a short time later.