Scores of addresses across the north and north-east have become no-go areas for paramedics, new analysis has found.
Official figures from the Scottish Ambulance Service reveals 446 homes across the country are currently “red-flagged”.
These are addresses where crews will not attend without a further risk assessment of the property or being escorted by police.
Where are these addresses?
The service confirmed 30 of these homes have an Aberdeen postcode, while a further 16 were recorded against addresses with an Inverness postcode.
A group of red-flagged properties in the Kirkwall postcode area were also recorded but because this number was fewer than five, bosses were unable to provide a specific figure.
The full extent of the shocking conditions facing north ambulance workers has been revealed just days after officials confirmed there were at least 308 physical and verbal assaults on staff last year.
Dual staffing crises making things worse?
But a North East MSP has raised further concerns over how a staffing crisis within Police Scotland could leave ambulance workers facing an impossible choice.
Tess White questioned whether the government is doing enough after 1,000 frontline officers quit the force over a 10-month period last year.
She said: “Paramedics dedicate themselves to helping others and should never fear for their own safety.
“So it’s shocking to see so many addresses in the north and north-east where they can’t enter without a police escort.
“We know that physical and verbal abuse is rife because the Scottish Ambulance Service highlighted it just last week.”
How do the figures compare to previous years?
Ms White questioned whether police and ambulance services could struggle to link up during a dual staffing crisis and vowed to investigate whether there had been any change to protective arrangements for this reason.
She added: “One attack on frontline emergency workers in the north-east is one too many.
“We clearly need to do more to keep them safe, which includes tough action from the courts when those assaulting, or threatening to assault, ambulance workers are caught.”
The latest figures from the Scottish Ambulance Service represent a significant drop from the 2,557 red flag addresses held in 2018.
But a spokeswoman for the service confirmed this change is because “the process for reviewing the warnings has improved and thus lowered the number of active warnings”.
She said: “Our staff should not fear for their safety when working, and these measures have been put in place to help protect them while they do their job.
“Individual addresses where staff have previously faced violence or threatening behaviour are automatically flagged to our crews, who can then request additional support, if they believe it is required.”
The spokeswoman continued: “Our staff are trained in assessing risk and managing aggression so that they can make a sensible decision based on the circumstances.
“However, getting to the sickest patients is always our priority, regardless of whether the police are in attendance.”
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