Reports of racist abuse against NHS nursing staff have risen sharply across the UK, with nurses describing shocking physical and verbal attacks from patients because of their ethnicity.
New figures released by the Royal College of Nursing show that 6,812 incidents of racial abuse were reported by nursing staff working in NHS Trusts and Health Boards in 2025. That is almost double the 3,652 cases recorded in 2022.
The union warned the real scale of abuse is likely to be much higher because several NHS organisations failed to respond to Freedom of Information requests. It also said many nurses do not report incidents due to fears of retaliation or a lack of confidence that employers will take action.
Nurses told researchers they were routinely subjected to racist insults, threats and degrading treatment while caring for patients.
Among them is southwest London community nurse Neomi Bennett, who said some patients openly refused to be treated by Black nurses.
The 53 year old said she had been told by patients that they wanted a “white nurse” and had experienced people refusing to let her touch them while receiving care.
Bennett said the growing hostility reflected wider tensions in British society, pointing to the recent Unite the Kingdom march organised by far right activist Tommy Robinson.
“I have experienced it personally,” she said. “Patients have told me they do not want me touching them and that they want a white nurse instead.”
The RCN report also revealed incidents where nurses had hot drinks thrown at them and were targeted by racist comments online. One patient reportedly criticised hospital workers on social media for not being “white or British”.
Calls made to the RCN included claims that some families refused to allow Black nurses to care for relatives. Another nurse said a senior colleague admitted they did not like Indian people. Muslim staff observing Ramadan also reported hearing offensive comments questioning why they were allowed to pray at work.
The union said racism had become deeply embedded within parts of the health service and warned that anti migrant rhetoric in politics was helping to fuel hostility towards overseas workers.
Around 75,000 internationally educated nurses have arrived in the UK over the past five years to help plug staffing shortages across the NHS.
Bennett, who founded the campaign group Equality4BlackNurses during the Covid pandemic in 2020, said many migrant nurses now feel increasingly vulnerable because of tougher immigration policies and growing anti immigration sentiment.
She recalled how Black and minority ethnic staff were disproportionately affected during the pandemic and described being forced to use plastic bin bags to cover her braided hair because suitable protective equipment was unavailable.
“Most of the nurses facing problems came here legally on work visas,” she said. “But we do not believe this is really about immigration. It is about Black and Brown people full stop.”
The RCN has repeatedly criticised politicians for using language it says scapegoats migrant healthcare workers. The union has also opposed government proposals to increase the waiting period for Indefinite Leave to Remain from five years to ten.
Speaking ahead of the union’s annual congress in Liverpool, RCN general secretary Nicola Ranger said NHS employers were failing to properly record racist abuse incidents.
She called for a standardised reporting system across all NHS Trusts and Health Boards.
“Nursing staff are the lifeblood of our NHS and social care system,” she said. “They deserve better than this disgusting racism and abuse becoming normalised.”
Duncan Burton also condemned the abuse, insisting racism against NHS workers was “totally unacceptable”.
He said NHS organisations must adopt a zero tolerance approach, including involving police and pursuing criminal prosecutions where necessary.
