An operation has been launched to improve the prosecution rates of criminals who assault frontline staff.
Those on the NHS frontline are three times more likely to be assaulted than those in other professions but the prosecution rate is just seven per cent.
London Ambulance Service recorded 260 physical attacks on staff between April and August, with 172 of these including kicking, punching, head-butting and biting.
Now a pilot unit called Operation Cavell, made up of the Met Police, NHS and CPS, has been set up to tackle the problem.
It will ensure senior investigators review all crimes against NHS workers and use the experience of specialised police investigators.
Chief Inspector Luke Mooney said: “This operation is a way of showing frontline workers that they are being supported.”
Dr Michael Holland, medical director at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, added: “Staff should be able to come to work without fear of violence.”
Michael Mallon, the CPS’s lead on Operation Cavell, said: “The CPS has been clear that attacks on emergency workers will not be tolerated.”