Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

NHS may deny care to abusive patients

By Nadeem Badshah

CAMPAIGNERS have backed plans to allow hospitals to refuse to treat racist, sexist and violent patients to tackle growing levels of abuse suffered by NHS staff.


From April, any patient or hospital visitor behaving in a racist or abusive way could be barred from receiving care unless the case is an emergency, the government said.

Previously, NHS patients could only be refused help if they were aggressive or violent.

It comes as new figures show the percentage of staff who said they had suffered discrimination has risen by a quarter in five years, from 5.8 per cent to 7.2 per cent.

Racism was the most common form of discrimination but the figures also show the highest levels of reported sexism, homophobia and anti-religious incidents.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, the British Medical Association's council chair, told Eastern Eye: “We are deeply concerned about the increase in abusive behaviour towards our healthcare workers and are particularly worried that BAME staff are being disproportionately affected.

“No one should ever have to fear being abused or harassed when they go to work, least of all hardworking NHS staff who commit their careers to helping others and who are currently working under immense system pressures.

“We therefore, support this announcement from NHS England that NHS services will be able to protect staff by barring from non-emergency care any patient or visitor who inflicts discriminatory or harassing behaviour on staff.

“All staff must feel confident coming forward when they are subject to abuse or harassment, and must do so in the knowledge that they work in a supportive environment and something will be done.”

About one in seven of around 569,000 health service staff surveyed reported being physically attacked.

The poll found workers at ambulance, mental health and learning disability trusts were worst affected by abuse and violence.

And 29 per cent of NHS workers have been bullied, harassed or abused in the past year by patients and members of the public.

Munira Wilson, a Liberal Democrat MP and the party's health spokeswoman, told Eastern Eye: “Just imagine how appalling it must be to face discrimination as a BAME staff member in our health service, never mind knowing it’s getting worse and worse. It is just awful.

“Violence or abuse of any form should not be tolerated towards NHS staff. Taking care of and valuing our hardworking staff should be a key priority for the NHS.

“While it is welcome that measures are being taken to take discrimination more seriously, Liberal Democrats will continue to campaign for more action to ensure equality across the system.”

Health secretary Matt Hancock wrote to NHS staff in February to announce tougher measures to probe abuse and harassment towards staff, saying "no act of violence or abuse is minor".

Hancock added: "being assaulted or abused is not part of the job".

Jabeer Butt, CEO of the Race Equality Foundation, said while on the surface this looks like a step forward, its experience in this area has shown that BAME workers are often let down by colleagues and managers who fail to support them when subjected to racism.

He added: "It is vital that we all feel safe at work.

"NHS England needs a more robust approach to ensure the safety of staff and quality of care for people who may be distressed or in a state of crisis."

Following laws unveiled in 2018, jail terms for those who assault NHS staff have been doubled, alongside changes to make it easier to prosecute assaults.

Sir Simon Stevens, the head of the NHS, said the service was "determined to clamp down on abuse and aggression in all its forms".

More For You

The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)
The meeting between Trump and William took place at the UK ambassador's residence in Paris after the event. (Photo: Getty Images)

Trump meets Prince William at Notre Dame reopening

US president-elect Donald Trump met Prince William on Saturday during the reopening ceremony of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

The event marked the restoration of the historic landmark following a major fire in 2019.

Keep ReadingShow less
Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service
Kate attends the "Together At Christmas" Carol Service" at Westminster Abbey in London on December 6, 2024. (Photo by ISABEL INFANTES/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Princess of Wales hosts emotional Christmas service

PRINCESS OF WALES, Kate Middleton, hosted a Christmas service at Westminster Abbey on Friday (6) that reflected on "the most difficult times" as she returns to public life after her cancer diagnosis.

The London carol service intended to "reflect upon the importance of love and empathy, and how much we need each other, especially in the most difficult times of our lives", according to Kensington Palace office.

Keep ReadingShow less
Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report
Banaras Hussain

Rotherham sexual assault convict to be released from prison: report

A MAN convicted of violent sexual offences in Rotherham is set to be released from prison on licence after serving nine years of a 19-year sentence.

The crimes of Banaras Hussain, 44, included rape, indecent assault, and actual bodily harm, were part of a prolonged pattern of abuse targeting vulnerable victims, some as young as 11.

Keep ReadingShow less
Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

Birmingham gang convicted for £2.5m Covid fraud

TWELVE members of an organised crime group from Birmingham, Walsall, and Yorkshire have been found guilty of defrauding over £2.5 million in Covid support grants through fraudulent claims.

The crime group exploited non-trading businesses and stolen identities to submit multiple Covid support claims, including Bounce Back Loans, HMRC payments, and various grants set up to assist struggling businesses and individuals during the pandemic.

Keep ReadingShow less
Migrant workers key to meet housing target, warn builders
Construction workers work on building residential houses and homes at a Homes by Strata building site, in Leeds, northern England on September 4, 2024. (Photo by OLI SCARFF/AFP via Getty Images)

Migrant workers key to meet housing target, warn builders

THE UK must urgently address a construction skills shortage, including by increasing migrant worker numbers, to achieve prime minister's target of building 1.5 million homes by the end of this parliamentary term, industry leaders have warned.

The National Federation of Builders, which represents small and medium-sized contractors, highlighted the scale of the challenge, pointing to an ageing workforce and declining numbers of apprentices, the Telegraph reported.

Keep ReadingShow less