London Ambulance Service call handlers are subjected to vulgar sexual abuse during 999 and 111 calls, with one 111 health adviser requiring therapy after a distressing incident. In the year to July 2026, employees reported 462 incidents of sexual abuse, with around a third occurring in 999 and 111 control rooms. The true figure is likely higher because many incidents go unreported, according to the service.
Disgusting calls leave staff shocked and distressed
Extracts from calls recently shared by the service reveal callers making explicit sexual comments, including saying they want to have sex with the handler and one man saying he would masturbate to the sound of a woman’s voice. These snippets are described as being at the lower end of the spectrum, with most abuse too graphic to make public. The abuse affects staff on both 999 and 111 lines.
In one call, a handler kept their composure, issued a warning, and continued the call to help the caller, who eerily and repeatedly pleaded for his “second warning.” Abigail Oluwasanya, who took the call, said: “It shocked me. I was just trying to confirm the patient’s details when he started sexually harassing me over the phone. It feels like these types of callers just want to abuse us, which prevents genuine patients from receiving the help they need.”
Call handlers speak out about the impact
111 health adviser Maiara said: “I hear sexual abuse over the phone quite often, especially during evening and night shifts. I once had a caller who appeared to be performing a sexual act during an assessment. I was shocked and reported the call to my supervisor. It turned out he had done the same thing to several other health advisers. The call kept playing on my mind – it left me needing therapy.”
999 call handler Monet Lobman-Edghill said: “You never know what the next call will bring and it can catch you off guard. We are human beings at the other end of the line, we are not robots, we are not AI. We are here to help, so please be kind to us.”
Call handler Minnie Aidoo described a frequent caller who made inappropriate sexual noises when a woman answered but ended the call when a man did. She said: “At first I questioned myself and wondered whether he was in pain. As the call continued, it became clear what he was doing. I was shocked that somebody would call 999 to behave like that.”
Service takes action against offenders
Jason Killens KAM, Chief Executive of London Ambulance Service, said: “Our call handlers and health advisers come to work to help people, yet some are left shocked and distressed by the sexual harassment they face. Nobody should be subjected to that while trying to establish whether someone needs urgent medical help. These calls can stay with colleagues long after they end and take time away from patients who genuinely need us.
“Our message to callers is simple - we are here when you need help. Respect the person who answers. Sexual harassment and abuse are not part of the job and we will not accept it. We urge all of our people to report instances of abuse so we can offer support and investigate the incident, and will always work with police when an offence has been committed.”
Members of the service’s violence reduction unit examine every reported incident, track patterns, and identify repeat callers. The team helps colleagues secure evidence and supports police investigations. Where a crime may have been committed, the service works with police and criminal justice partners to pursue action and hold offenders to account.
