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Nurses Recall Racist Abuse From Patients as They Demand More Support
The union said 21,725 incidents were reported from 106 NHS trusts and health boards, and the true total could exceed 40,000.
- The Royal College of Nursing revealed a 70% increase in helpline calls from ethnic minority staff seeking discrimination advice in recent years, which General Secretary Professor Nicola Ranger described as a "catastrophic rise in the racist abuse faced by nursing staff."
- FoI requests from 106 NHS trusts revealed 21,725 reported racial abuse incidents between 2022 and 2025; the RCN suggests the true figure exceeds 40,000 due to incomplete reporting systems across health boards.
- Nurses have reported violent attacks, including being punched and told to "go back to the zoo," while discriminatory comments about accents and ethnicity occur as frequently as one incident every 51 minutes, the RCN noted.
- Members of the RCN voted to develop a UK-wide programme to build staff confidence in tackling racism, while Prof Ranger demanded standardized incident recording, criticizing leaders for a policy of "don't know, don't care."
- Speaking at the Royal College annual congress in Liverpool on Monday, Professor Nicola Ranger attributed the hostility to a "palpable rise in anti-immigrant rhetoric," warning that failing to welcome staff threatens nursing workforce retention.
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Shocking rise in racist abuse against NHS nurses sparks outrage across UK
HighlightsNursing staff reported 6,812 racist incidents in 2025, up from 3,652 in 2022.RCN warns real figures are far higher due to widespread under-reporting.From October, NHS employers will be legally liable for harassment of staff by patients.Racist abuse against NHS nurses has gone up sharply. New figures show a 78 per cent rise in reported incidents over the past four years. The Royal College of Nursing gathered this data through Freedom of…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources13
Leaning Left6Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution60% Left
Bias Distribution
- 60% of the sources lean Left
60% Left
L 60%
C 30%
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