Staff Were Called "Monkeys" and Dirty Foreigners, With Patients Refusing Care From Black or Asian Workers

NHS radiographers report a noticeable rise in overt racist abuse from patients over the past 18 months, according to a survey of 381 Society of Radiographers members. Staff were called "monkeys" and "dirty foreigners, with patients refusing care from black or Asian workers. One patient said "Black people frighten me, while another joked about a radiographer's headscarf despite her mild Yorkshire accent.

Prof Habib Naqvi, chief executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory, condemned the incidents, calling for a zero-tolerance approach. Radiographer Paul Awah, 39, from Bedfordshire, said patients often pretend not to understand him despite English being his first language, blaming far-right rhetoric for emboldening racism. Previous data shows a 55% rise in racist incidents reported by Royal College of Nursing members over three years, and one in five black and minority-ethnic staff report abuse versus one in 20 white staff. Thomas Simons, chief HR officer at NHS England, said racist abuse is unacceptable and new standards require clear consequences, including refusing care in non-emergency cases.