Racist abuse of NHS nurses rising amid ‘normalisation’ of extreme views, RCN warns
Summary
Racist abuse against NHS nurses in the UK has increased significantly in recent years, with incidents rising by 86% from 2022 to 2023. The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and NHS officials say that this rise is linked to the spread of extreme views becoming more common in society and media, and that many racist attacks are not properly recorded or addressed.Key Facts
- In 2023, NHS nurses reported 6,812 racist abuse incidents, up from 3,652 in 2022.
- Examples include racial slurs from colleagues and patients, physical attacks, and discriminatory comments from patients’ families.
- The RCN says poor recording and low reporting of these incidents mean the real number is likely higher.
- Abuse includes both racism and other forms of discrimination like Islamophobia.
- Some staff feel certain areas have become unsafe to work in due to racial tensions.
- NHS trusts often do not keep or share accurate data about racist abuse against staff.
- NHS employers say they are committed to addressing racism and plan a national system to report such incidents.
- NHS England leadership calls for zero tolerance of racism and encourages serious action including police involvement.
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