Racist Abuse of NHS Nurses Surges 86%, RCN Warns of Normalised Extremism

Racist abuse of NHS nurses has increased by 86% over the past two years, with the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) attributing the surge to the normalization of extreme views in politics and media.

In one incident, a nurse was called a monkey by a colleague; in another, a patient threw a hot drink at a nurse and followed up with racial slurs. Several nurses reported being called the N-word, the RCN disclosed.

Other examples included a patient’s family telling a nurse they did not want Black staff caring for their daughter, and a fellow NHS worker shouting, “We don’t have people of your colour here.”

NHS figures show 6,812 incidents of racist abuse against nurses across the UK last year, a sharp rise from 3,652 in 2022. It remains unclear how many were reported to police or led to action such as barring perpetrators from care.

The RCN warned that poor recording by the health service and reluctance among nurses to report abuse meant the figures – obtained via freedom of information requests – represent only “the tip of the iceberg.”

“These figures show a catastrophic rise in the racist abuse faced by nursing staff,” said Prof Nicola Ranger, the RCN’s general secretary and chief executive.

While racism has always existed, “those who hold these views have become more emboldened in recent times,” she said. “It reflects a further breakdown in societal norms, in part fed by more extreme views being normalised in the mainstream and across media.”

The findings are the latest evidence of what Kate Jarman, director of corporate affairs at Milton Keynes University Hospital Trust, last week called “a rising tide of racism” washing over the NHS, making it unsafe for some staff.

Former health secretary Wes Streeting warned in November that NHS personnel were bearing the brunt of the return of “ugly” racism reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s. An NHS trust boss said some community staff in England fear certain areas have become “no-go zones” because St George’s flags are on display.

The number of ethnic minority nurses calling the RCN’s advice line for help after experiencing racial abuse or discrimination rose by 70% during 2022-25, the union said.

In other incidents, a nurse observing Ramadan and praying while on shift faced Islamophobia, and another was punched in the eye and racially abused by patients.

Ranger said: “[Racism] is a disgrace, and perhaps just as bad is the fact that many NHS trusts and health boards cannot even tell us how many staff have been on the receiving end. It amounts to a policy of ‘don’t know, don’t care’.”

Dozens of NHS organizations did not keep data on racist incidents; others replied to the RCN’s FOI request with “implausibly low figures” or refused to release any figures. Health chiefs were “failing in their duty to keep [staff] safe at work” by not collecting such data, she said.

“It remains an outrage that NHS [staff] should be subjected to violence and abuse because of who they are,” said Dean Royles, the interim chief executive of NHS Employers. He added that NHS care providers were committed to tackling racism, including antisemitism and Islamophobia.

NHS bosses plan to introduce a national reporting system to monitor the problem, Royles said.

A recent FOI trawl by the BBC uncovered even more reports of racist abuse in England alone than the RCN found. Figures from 106 trusts showed the number of incidents reported increased from 7,002 in 2023 to 8,235 in 2024 – a 17% rise in one year.

Duncan Burton, NHS England’s chief nursing officer, said: “Racism against NHS staff is totally unacceptable. All local organisations must take a zero-tolerance approach to discrimination, taking action including police involvement and criminal prosecution as appropriate.”

Burton added: “We would encourage any staff that experience or witness racist incidents to report them so that action can be taken. It is essential that all staff feel safe to speak up and confident that action will be taken, and the NHS has set out targeted action required by local organisations including reviewing disciplinary processes and providing protection and comprehensive psychological support for anyone reporting concerns.”