London Ambulance Service has launched a new campaign to highlight the daily abuse their staff face and to help protect them.

The “All We Want for Christmas is… RESPECT” scheme follows reports around half of 999 call handlers and 111 staff experience abuse or threats.

Lykeisha Brown-Flynn, a 111 advisor in Croydon, described racial abuse from callers while directing them to appropriate care.

Deputy Director Laurence Cowderoy warned that abusive calls divert time from patients with life-threatening emergencies.