Ambulance union slam bosses over sacking of driver who defended himself from drunk thug

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An ambulance union has slammed bosses for failing to protect staff after a driver was sacked for defending himself from a drunken thug.GMB Scotland said the unfair dismissal of former Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) employee Mark Harvie exposes a “wider failure” to shield emergency crews from violence.We told in Thursday’s Record how ambulance care assistant Mark was “treated like a criminal” after being accused of assault while defending himself during an incident with a member of the public at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.The 61-year-old was awarded £22,000 compensation by a tribunal after being dismissed for gross misconduct, days before prosecutors said there was no criminal case against him.GMB Scotland, the biggest in the Scottish Ambulance Service, said Mark’s case highlighted a need for better training in handling volatile and violent situations and more support from management after figures revealed hundreds of paramedics have been attacked in recent years.GMB Scotland organiser Karen Leonard said: “Our members go into our communities to save lives yet are being attacked and abused.“No one should have to put up with that for simply doing their job, least of all those who are there to protect us.“Offenders should be dealt with effectively and there must be every possible support for those subjected to violence.“That clearly did not happen in Inverness and those in authority should be asking why.“As a society, we must make absolutely clear that these attacks are beyond the pale and will not be accepted.” Join the Daily Record's WhatsApp community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages. Mark, from Beauly, Inverness-shire, was in his ambulance when a drunk man forced open the