Archive · 5 Aug 2026
NHS staff face rising racist abuse from patients, survey finds
Some people who work in the UK's hospitals and clinics, called the NHS, are treated badly because of the color of their skin or where they come from.
A group called the Society of Radiographers asked its workers about this, and they said mean behavior has been getting worse over the last 18 months.
Patients have called workers rude names and some patients have refused to let doctors or nurses help them because of their skin color.
One worker said people now say these things openly because they hear similar words on TV and from certain politicians.
The NHS has many workers from other countries, and around 45,000 of them are from India.
The NHS says this kind of behavior is wrong and has no place in its hospitals.
The worker's group wants every hospital to write down when bad things happen and make sure they are dealt with properly.
The group for doctors and nurses of Indian origin also says all healthcare workers deserve respect and should be able to do their jobs without being threatened.
A Society of Radiographers (SoR) survey found non-white NHS staff experienced increased racist abuse over the last 18 months.
Workers reported being called "dirty foreigners" and "monkey," and some patients refused treatment from non-white medics.
The rise was linked by respondents to increased anti-immigrant rhetoric in media, political parties and TV channels.
Indians are the largest group of internationally trained NHS medics, numbering around 45,000 of over 1.5 million staff.
SoR said it will hold NHS trusts accountable for recording and monitoring racist incidents and working with trade unions.
- Who
- The Society of Radiographers (SoR), which surveyed its members, and non-white NHS staff who reported the abuse; Dean Rogers of the SoR and BAPIO responded.
- What
- A survey found a rise in racist abuse, including verbal slurs and patient refusals of treatment, directed at non-white NHS staff over the last 18 months.
- When
- The survey covered experiences over the last 18 months; the findings were published in the period around the articles' reporting.
- Where
- The National Health Service (NHS) across the UK, including a reported incident in the Midlands region.
- Why
- Respondents linked the increase to a rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric in society, the media, certain political parties and TV channels.
- Surveying body
- Society of Radiographers (SoR)
- Period of increase
- Last 18 months
- Reported abuse
- Slurs including "dirty foreigners" and "monkey"
- Indian-trained NHS medics
- About 45,000 of over 1.5 million staff
- Non-British NHS workforce
- About 21 per cent
- Overseas-trained radiographers
- About one in four registered with the Health and Care Professions Council
- SoR response
- Renewed focus on holding NHS trusts accountable for recording and monitoring racist incidents
- Quoted profession
- A sonographer of Asian descent working in the Midlands
