Racist incidents against UK nurses surge by 55% in 3 years: Report

LONDON

The number of racist incidents reported by nurses in the UK has surged by 55% over the past three years, according to new figures from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN).

The union’s analysis shows that more than 1,000 calls for advice and support from nursing staff are expected this year, up from just under 700 in 2022.

It warned that the true scale is likely far higher, as many cases go unreported.

Examples shared by the RCN include a manager telling a nurse, “then you shouldn’t have come to the UK,” after a leave request was refused, and an employer failing to act after a nurse was repeatedly racially abused by a patient who mocked their name and accent.

In another case, a colleague told a nurse, “I want to remind you that you’re not one of us,” while a patient’s family refused care from an ethnic minority nurse, calling staff “slaves.”

The RCN said rising hostility towards migrant and ethnic minority staff reflects a “growing pattern of racism” in health and care settings, warning that recent anti-migrant protests may have emboldened abusers.

Professor Nicola Ranger, RCN general secretary and chief executive, said in a statement: “These racist incidents are absolutely disgusting, and it is a mark of shame that they are rising like this across health and care services.”

“Every single ethnic minority nursing professional deserves to go to work without fear of being abused, and employers have a legal duty to ensure workplaces are safe. These findings must refocus minds in the fight against racism,” she added.

The union has urged employers to strengthen protections for staff and called on politicians to end the use of anti-migrant rhetoric, which it says is putting health care workers at greater risk.

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