Stabbed West Midlands ambulance worker welcomes vest trial

Deena Evans said of her stabbing: "I do still have panic attacks, but they're a lot more controlled now."

An ambulance paramedic stabbed by a patient has welcomed a trial of protective vests for staff.

Deena Evans was attacked along with a colleague in Wolverhampton in July 2020 and said it still gave her nightmares.

She said if they had been wearing stab vests at the time "they would have protected us and I wouldn't have these massive scars all over me".

West Midlands Ambulance Service said 22 workers based in Willenhall, Walsall, volunteered to take part this autumn.

Ms Evans said she was hurt after being sent to carry out a welfare check on a man in his 50s. He was carrying two knives.

She didn't realise she had been stabbed at first and said: "I remember taking a step backwards and thinking my uniform is really wet.

"I had gloves on and as I sort of patted myself down, I looked at my gloves and I realised I am bleeding from somewhere."

The attacker admitted two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and was jailed for nine years in July this year, with a further five years on licence.

Michael Hipgrave also required hospital treatment after the attack but both paramedics have since returned to work

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West Midlands Ambulance Service said staff had previously been consulted on the use of body armour, but voted against introducing it.

Ms Evans said she knew other colleagues had been threatened with knives, and said: "Normally things never change as a result of something happening to the staff, it only ever happens if something has happened to a patient. Things never change in the NHS for staff."

She said the trial meant something positive could come from "such a horrible experience".

And she added: "If it is successful, which I'm hoping it will [be], we will have those stab vests, we will have that protection, we will have those stab vests not just for me, for everybody.

"And if those stab vests prevent one more person from being stabbed again then we've done our job."