Safety during ambulance transits – use of force and coercion in the ambulance service

We explore ambulance personnel's experiences with and understanding of what coercion is, and how often, in what situations and in what forms coercion is used to ensure safe transportation.

In a qualitative research study, the examination of ambulance personnel's comprehension and practical encounters with coercion was undertaken. 

Notably, the investigation unveiled that ambulance equipment was employed as makeshift mechanical restraints to secure patients who exhibited motor restlessness and disruptive behavior during ambulance transportation. 

The primary objective of this approach was to ensure the patient's safety and obviate the necessity for accompanying staff, including the police, to unbuckle their seat belts in order to hold the patient's down on the ambulance stretcher.

Two subsequent inquiries were conducted to quantify the frequency with which paramedics resort to employing coercive measures to secure patients during ambulance transportation.

Additionally, the inquiries aimed to explore the experiences and perspectives of paramedics regarding the utilization of such coercive measures.