South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) has said this week that it is concerned about a continued rise in assaults against its people. Staff experienced 50 incidents of violence and aggression from patients and other members of the public between Christmas Eve and New Year’s Day, including 16 physical assaults. That represents an 85% increase in overall incidents and double the number of assaults during the nine-day period, compared to the previous year. On Christmas Day a crew responded to a patient holding a kitchen knife. Then his car collided with their ambulance as he tried to leave the scene. Another crew responding to an incident were threatened with a baseball bat by a motorist. A female paramedic was also assaulted while attending an incident.