NHS staff report surge in racist abuse from patients, survey finds

NHS staff have been called "dirty foreigners" and "monkeys" amid a "noticeable" and "unacceptable" rise in racism from patients, a survey has found.

The Society of Radiographers (SoR) said the trend over the past 18 months is a "poor reflection" on society and described the behaviour as "unconscionable".

Some have even been refused to be treated by non-white staff, a poll of its members revealed.

A sonographer in the Midlands, of Asian descent, said several patients have said to her: "This country isn’t the same, with all those people coming over here, taking our jobs."

She said such incidents had become "more prevalent", blaming "the media and certain political parties" where people "are openly expressing" such views.

Paul Awah, a Bedfordshire-based diagnostic radiographer originally from Nigeria, added: "It’s definitely got worse – people are more expressive now.

"What used to be something people wouldn’t say – now the rhetoric has changed."

Mr Awah also claimed he had experienced patients telling him they cannot understand him, even though English is the only language he speaks.

Other incidents raised in the SoR survey include:

- "Some patients always complain about the colour of skin of people attending them," said one worker.

- One radiographer spoke of "patients describing healthcare staff as dirty foreigners".

- Another said: "I have witnessed a colleague being called a monkey by a patient."

- A white man allegedly refused to let a sonographer scan his pregnant wife, telling the staff: "I don’t want anyone from any ethnic background touching my woman."

- And another patient refused to let a black radiographer perform their chest X-ray, as "black people frighten me".

’Racist abuse has no place in NHS’

The findings come after the latest NHS Staff Survey showed the percentage of staff who have experienced some discrimination over the past 12 months is at a five-year high.

Published in March, it found 9.26% of workers had personally experienced discrimination in 2025.

Thomas Simons, chief human resources and organisational development officer at NHS England, said: "Racist abuse towards NHS staff is completely unacceptable and has no place in our health service.

"Our new national staff standards are clear that NHS organisations must take meaningful action to prevent and respond to racism, support affected staff and ensure there are clear consequences for patients who racially abuse or discriminate against NHS staff - including the option to refuse care in non-emergency situations."