NHS Staff Face 17% Rise in Racial Abuse Reports from Patients in 2024

NHS staff in England faced a sharp increase in racial abuse from patients last year, with reports rising 17% to 8,235 across 106 hospital and mental health trusts, BBC analysis shows.

Nurse Tito Vicario has worked two years at Sunderland Royal Hospital and endured multiple racial attacks from patients. "Whenever I feel like it's going to happen again I feel my heart racing," he said. The abuse starts verbal but turns physical in some cases. "There are times where some patients will try to punch you or slap you," Vicario said. "It affects you not just physically but mentally as well."

Vicario, from the Philippines, once heard a highly offensive racial slur from a patient whose family apologized right away. Still, he felt powerless, anxious and nervous. On another shift, a female patient refused medication from him and hurled abuse. "They try to say these things to release their anger and anxiety but we're not punching bags, we're still people," he said. "You can't hit back, just smile. You just take it."

The BBC filed Freedom of Information requests with all NHS trusts in England. Of the 106 that replied, they logged 8,235 racial abuse reports in 2024, up from 7,002 in 2023. Some trusts lack pre-2023 data, but campaigners say the problem has built for years. Better reporting may explain part of the jump, though the true total likely exceeds this since not every trust submitted figures.

Neomi Bennett, founder of Equality 4 Black Nurses, called unreported cases a major issue. "In our research around 67% chose not to report," she said. Some staff distrust the system to shield them. "Some of the nurses that have approached us have ended up going to work in retail or into sales or something which is less risky than nursing," Bennett added. Many overseas nurses have left for home countries because they cannot cope.

Ishaan, an ambulance call handler for North East Ambulance Service from India, fields 111 and 999 calls. The BBC is withholding his full name and photo to avoid more abuse. Callers demand an "English person" or tell him to "go back to where you came from, you have taken everything from us." Aggression spikes when demands fail, sometimes several times daily.

In his first year, abuse hit every few months. This year brought a big surge that slows work and delays care. Ishaan has paused calls when overwhelmed by distress, frustration and anger. "It lowers my confidence, it takes a mental toll, it does put stress on me," he said. "It makes me think is it worth it still doing this job." Kind words from other callers help him stick with it.

The Department of Health and Social Care said the NHS maintains zero tolerance for racism but acknowledged an intolerable rise against staff in recent years.