NHS workers have spoken out about facing offensive racist remarks from patients, signaling a troubling increase in such behavior over the past 18 months as highlighted in a survey conducted by the Society of Radiographers.
The survey results coincide with data from the latest NHS Staff Survey, released in March, revealing a 5-year high of 9.26% of staff reporting experiencing discrimination at work, up from 7.91% in 2021. This concerning trend has prompted calls from the SoR for the NHS to systematically document instances of racism and track their resolution, a proposal supported by the Royal College of Nursing.
One MRI radiographer, Paul Awah, shared his distress over the surge in racist incidents, attributing the shift in rhetoric to the growing influence of the far-right movement. He recounted an incident where a patient exhibited reluctance to receive treatment from him, despite his expertise, a scenario that unfolded just two weeks prior.
Similarly, CT radiographer Ifeanyi Obike recounted a patient’s refusal to be treated by him, citing his nationality as the reason. This incident reflects a broader issue highlighted by NHS data, revealing a rise in reported cases of staff facing discrimination from patients in recent years.
In response to these distressing revelations, Thomas Simons, chief human resources and organisational development officer at NHS England, condemned racist behavior towards NHS staff, emphasizing the necessity for healthcare organizations to address and prevent such abuse. Simons emphasized the importance of enforcing consequences for patients engaging in racial discrimination, even allowing staff the option to refuse care in non-emergency situations.
Condemning the rise in racist abuse against NHS staff, Brian Morton, RCN Associate Director of Employment Relations, stressed the need for a standardized national approach to record and address incidents of racial abuse. He underscored the significance of valuing and protecting the diverse healthcare workforce, warning that failing to tackle racism could lead to the loss of valuable healthcare professionals from the system.
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