Racist abuse of NHS nurses rising amid ‘normalisation’ of extreme views, RCN warns | Nursing
Racist abuse against NHS nurses has risen by 86% in the last few years and the union boss blamed this on the normalization of extreme views in politics and the media.
A nurse was called a monkey by a colleague, a patient threw a hot drink at a nurse and then racially abused her, and others were called the N-word in some cases, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has revealed.
In other examples, a patient’s family told a nurse they did not want black people looking after their daughter, and an NHS worker shouted at the nurse: “There are no people of your color here.”
NHS figures show nurses across the UK reported 6,812 incidents of racist abuse last year; This number is a large increase compared to the 3,652 incidents recorded in 2022. But it’s unclear how many of them were reported to the police or led to any action being taken, such as telling a perpetrator to seek treatment from a different care provider.
The RCN warned that inadequate recording of such abuse by the health service, and the reluctance of many nurses to report it, meant figures obtained under freedom of information (FOI) from NHS trusts and health boards were only the “tip of the iceberg”.
“These figures show a catastrophic increase in racist abuse faced by nursing staff,” said Prof Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the RCN.
While racism has always been present, “those who hold these views have become more emboldened recently,” he said. “This reflects a further breakdown in social norms, fueled in part by the normalization of more extreme views in the mainstream and media.”
The findings come as Kate Jarman, director of corporate affairs at the Milton Keynes university hospital trust, said last week:a rising tide of racismThe collapse of the NHS is making it unsafe for some staff.
Former health secretary Wes Streeting warned last November that NHS staff were bearing the brunt of the return of “ugly” racism in British society reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s. Some staff working in the community in England fear some areas will become a “no-go zone” for them because of the display of St George’s flags, an NHS trust boss has said.
The number of nurses from ethnic minority backgrounds calling the RCN’s advice line after experiencing racist abuse or discrimination increased by 70% in 2022-25, it said.
In other incidents, a nurse celebrating Ramadan and praying during her shift was subjected to Islamophobia, and another nurse was punched in the eye and racially abused by patients.
The ranger said: “[Racism] This is a shame and perhaps just as bad is that many NHS trusts and health boards cannot even tell us how many staff have been victimised. “This amounts to a ‘don’t know, don’t care’ policy.”
Dozens of NHS organizations do not keep data on racist incidents, while others responded to the RCN’s FOI request with “incredibly low figures” or refused to disclose any figures. Health chiefs “could not fulfill their duties” [staff] “You can stay safe at work by not collecting this type of data,” he said.
“This state of the NHS remains a disgrace [staff] “They should be exposed to violence and abuse because of who they are,” said Dean Royles, interim chief executive of NHS Employers, adding that NHS care providers were committed to tackling racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.
Royles said NHS bosses were planning to introduce a national reporting system to monitor the problem.
A new FOI troll by BBC It uncovered more reports of racist abuse by staff in England alone than the RCN did. Figures from 106 trusts showed the number of incidents reported rose from 7,002 in 2023 to 8,235 in 2024; This represents a 17% increase in one year.
Duncan Burton, NHS England’s chief nursing officer, said: “Racism towards NHS staff is completely unacceptable. All local organizations must take a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, taking appropriate action, including police intervention and criminal prosecution.”
“We encourage all staff who encounter or witness racist incidents to report them so action can be taken. It is important that all staff feel comfortable speaking up and feel confident that appropriate action will be taken, and the NHS has identified targeted actions required by local organisations, including reviewing disciplinary processes and providing protection and comprehensive psychological support to anyone who reports concerns.”
