Health secretary Wes Streeting has expressed concern over the return of ‘ugly’ racism of 1970s and 1980s and the impact it is having on the NHS workforce.
His comments follow last week’s warning from the Royal College of Nursing, which said racist incidents against nurses have sharply increased in recent years.
Streeting told the Guardian how he has been “shocked” hearing NHS staff, especially those working in A&E, face harassment, aggression and violence when their care gets delayed.
He observed that the abuse in the name of skin colour has become commonplace and even acceptable, and some politicians are condoning it.
The government has earlier ordered a review of antisemitism and all forms of racism in the NHS by Lord John Mann, as part of wider efforts to tackle discrimination in the health service.
Streeting pointed out that the NHS in England was getting overwhelmed in the coming weeks because of a triple whammy of flu, Covid and strike action by doctors as winter descends.
He admitted that long waits and procedural hassles could be frustrating, but there is ‘no excuse’ to abuse or attack the NHS staff.
Resident doctors in England want a 29 per cent pay rise and will strike for five days from 14 November.
This is their 13th walkout since March 2023 and the last strike in July had cost the NHS about £250 million.
Streeting has urged the British Medical Association (BMA) to cancel next week’s strike, saying it is unjustified because resident doctors’ pay has already increased by 28.9 percent over the past three years.
He warned that strike action will put patients at risk, as they may have to face longer waiting periods.
Streeting said that while the NHS in England has prepared itself for the winter, some trusts might still struggle to keep services running.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said that there has been an early spike in influenza cases and advised everyone to book their flu vaccination appointment.
The influenza positivity has increased with a weekly mean rate of 8.2 percent, compared with 6.1 percent in the previous week, and 2.9 percent this time last year.
