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King's Fund - NHS staff survey shows racism deeply entrenched and disturbingly normalised
Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive at The King’s Fund, commented on the results of the latest NHS Staff Survey and the latest NHS performance figures,
‘It is completely unacceptable that NHS staff continue to be subjected to racism as highlighted in yesterday's survey, one of the largest workforce surveys in the world. Despite the government’s ambitions to build a modern 21st‑century health service, abuse experienced by staff from ethnic minority backgrounds leaves the NHS stuck in decades past, entrenching a culture in which racism is disturbingly normalised and creating a health system that fewer staff would recommend as a place to work.
‘One in five Black and minority ethnic staff report abuse, bullying or harassment from patients or the public, compared with just 5% of white staff. 14% say they have faced similar behaviour from colleagues, managers or team leaders, double the rate reported by 7% their white colleagues.
‘Every year we see yet more appalling survey results exposing the persistent, everyday reality of racism in the NHS. Its toxic consequences are sadly felt daily across hospitals and community and mental health services, leaving a damaging and wholly unacceptable impact on the staff who we rely on to deliver the best quality care.
‘You can’t run a health service on hostility. Patients and the public may face frustratingly long waiting times for themselves or the ones they love, but that is not - and never will be - an excuse for discrimination. Just as the public have a right to free healthcare, NHS staff have the right to work without fear and abuse.
‘The upcoming 10 Year Workforce Plan for the NHS must put anti-racism at its core and NHS leaders must embed it across their culture and leadership. Anti-racism must be an action, not a label, and requires calling out discrimination, tackling subtle but harmful behaviours at play, and dismantling the systemic barriers that hold staff back in order to make the NHS a place people want to join and stay rather than leave.
‘This must also be matched by clear, coordinated cross-government action. The Home Office and the Department of Health and Social Care need to work together to assess how proposed immigration changes – including extending the wait for settled status – could affect NHS staffing and morale.
Responding to the NHS performance data, Sarah Woolnough, Chief Executive at The King's Fund, said:
‘Meanwhile, frontline staff are under immense pressure to meet the government's ambition for 92% of patients waiting for non-urgent treatment to be seen within 18 weeks by 2029, while a rising number feel burnt out because of their work. It’s promising to see waiting lists at the lowest they’ve been in nearly three years, as well as emergency response times nearly under the 30-minute target for the year 2025/2026 and NHS leaders and staff deserve credit for this.
‘The challenge now will be maintaining this momentum when individual NHS organisations are operating under extremely tight spending envelopes.’
Notes to editors
- The King’s Fund has set out recommendations to support the NHS workforce in a long read, Securing the NHS workforce for the future: our recommendations for action.
- The King’s Fund has also published From burnout to belief: reflections on reforming the NHS from within.
- The King’s Fund has also published new figures showing that NHS trusts were operating at a £780 million deficit last year: NHS Funding Deficits | The King's Fund.
