Surge in nurses reporting racial abuse at work, union data reveals

There has been a surge in nurses reporting racial abuse and discrimination at work, according to data released by a nursing union.

Some of the complaints made by ethnic minority nurses this year include being called a “creature” and “slaves” by patients, as well as abuse by fellow members of staff – with one nurse reporting a colleague said they wanted to “remind you that you’re not one of us”.

The number of calls to the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) advice line is projected to exceed 1,000 in 2025 after years of increases from almost 700 in 2022, to nearly 800 the following year and more than 900 last year.

The union warned the real numbers of incidents are likely higher as much abuse will go unreported.

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Examples of complaints made this year include:

– An employer taking no action after a nurse suffered consistent racial abuse by a patient, including being referred to as a “creature” and having their name and accent mocked.

– A patient and their family refusing care from a nurse, telling her they did not want “people like her” treating them and calling her and her colleagues “slaves”.

– A member of staff making racist remarks directed at a nurse and their colleagues, including referring to black people and saying: “You can only see their teeth when it is dark.”

– A nurse’s manager telling them: “Then you shouldn’t have come to the UK” after they made a leave request which was denied.

– A member of staff telling a nurse: “I want to remind you that you’re not one of us.”

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Racist disorder

The RCN said the “racist disorder and anti-migrant protests” this summer could have emboldened people to abuse ethnic minority and migrant staff.

A hotel in Epping, Essex, became the focal point of anti-migrant protests and counter-protests earlier this year, which eventually led to demonstrations outside hotels housing asylum seekers across the country.

The RCN signed a joint statement with other health unions last week demanding that politicians put an end to “a sustained campaign of anti-migrant rhetoric”.

General secretary Nicola Ranger said: “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.

“If health and care employers fail to make their workplaces a safe environment for nursing staff, it is unsurprising that those same staff leave, and their services are less safely staffed.

“Employers must prioritise tackling racism and work with trade unions to develop stronger mechanisms to protect staff.”

She continued: “The reality is that our health and social care system only functions because nursing staff of every ethnicity, nationality and faith make it so.

“We are urging government and politicians of all parties to recognise their role in tackling racism – and that must include an end to the use of anti-migrant rhetoric, which only risks emboldening racist behaviour.”