Abuse towards health workers

Abuse towards health workers

We clapped for NHS staff during the Covid-19 epidemic and there is widespread understanding that “our NHS”, as politicians like to say, and our social care service are dependent on migrant workers.

So it’s all the more shocking that so many migrant health and care workers face abuse and discrimination on a daily basis — both from administrators and clients.

“As a caregiver, I was once called a Black bitch,” Benedicta told Migrant Voice. “Another time I was called  a Black bastard by the person I was caring for, and though those words hurt, crawled through my skin, I cried in silence, reassuring myself that sticks may break my bones but not words. 

“One day as I lifted my head after lacing the shoes of an elder, he punched me in my left eye. I stood there holding my eye, hoping in my pain to hear my white colleagues who bore witness to rebuke the act, but none did. Rather they apologised on his behalf. 

“One even suggested I might have laced his shoe wrongly to warrant such action.

“I reported it to my boss. She apologised, too, and did nothing. Instead, through our interactions I sensed she wanted me not to take the issue further. 

“Despite the policies of the company, they did nothing. It was as though nothing had happened.

“I couldn’t tell what hurt me more: the punch, my sore eye, which I eventually treated on my own, or that the people I work for acted like I had not been abused because of my skin colour. 

“I got home that day, and when I saw my little son and daughters, I cried. I do this job to take care of them.”

Another woman who prefers to remain anonymous said: “My two years working as a caregiver hasn’t been pleasant, for the most part. I had an experience when a lady I was caring for spat on me. I wiped my face and flashed her an ambivalent stare, and she said, ‘Go back to your country’. 

“Upset, I stepped out and reported to the nurse on duty. The nurse returned with me, and with a gentle voice, informed the lady that I was her friend and not to act towards me in such a manner again. The lady responded in a kind manner, but as soon as the nurse left the room, slowly, the lady gave me the middle finger and whispered ‘Leave our country’. 

“I reported to my manager, who advised forgiveness when patients act in such manner as they suffer dementia — hence their misbehaviour. I cried so hard on my husband’s lap that night.”

Emily says that “in my visits as a support worker I am always paired in twos. Any time I am paired with a White support worker, the woman we care for never lets me touch her or converse with her. If I even make an attempt to assist my colleague, she insults me and my skin colour. 

“When I report it, I am often cajoled to return there knowing I will be treated like sh*t again. I think migrant caregivers continue to be abused because the people we work for do not necessarily care about us as a person, but only the service we can offer. 

“Perhaps if our employers changed the way they see us, then they would actively find ways to limit or ensure a total stop to how we are abused.”

In a personal note accompanying a letter by the Homecare Workers Group to MPs last September, Kate reported, “I've been hit, spat at and sworn at, had things thrown at me.”

There are many, many similar testimonies from all parts of the health and social services. They are painful, but not new.

A 2014 report said racism and a lack of diversity in leadership was impacting the NHS’ ability to deliver safe care. 

In 2022 the NHS Confederation found that more than half of the black, Asian and minority ethnic NHS leaders surveyed in a report considered leaving the NHS because of their experience of racist treatment. 

In the same year a British Medical Journal survey found that 76 per cent of respondents said they had been subjected to at least one incident of racist behaviour in the previous two years. 

In 2024 a report by the equality organisation brap found that 71 per cent of UK-trained staff from global majority ethnic backgrounds complained of race discrimination, and that many NHS organisations’ response was to challenge or ignore the allegations.

Joy Warmington, CEO of brap, the equality organisation, told Migrant Voice: “We’ve heard from many Global Majority NHS staff who have experienced racism and felt completely unsupported by their managers. 

“There’s a pervasive culture of avoidance, defensiveness, and minimization of racism in the NHS, which leads to inadequate responses when concerns are raised. Many managers simply aren’t equipped to recognise, address, or even talk about racism effectively. 

“As a result, staff often feel discouraged from speaking up, fearing their complaints will be ignored or, worse, that they’ll face negative consequences for raising them. Unfortunately, raising concerns about racism can still be a career staller.”

She said that although some healthcare organisations were taking the matter seriously, “there’s an urgent need for comprehensive training and systemic change to give managers the skills and confidence to deal with these issues properly and to create a more inclusive and supportive workplace culture.”

Shanna Wells, head of marketing and events at the Care Workers Charity warned that “the sad reality [is] that care workers across the sector experience abuse, and this is too often dismissed as simply 'part of the job.'

“This abuse—whether verbal or physical—can come from people drawing on social care, family members, or colleagues. Many care workers tell us they feel helpless when faced with such situations, particularly if their employer fails to take appropriate action.”

Adis Sehic, senior research and policy officer at the Work Rights Centre commented: “Our recent research documented shocking instances of racism towards migrant care workers, either from fellow colleagues and managers or, more frequently, from clients themselves. 

"Some described upsetting incidents where they had experienced name-calling and verbal abuse, and others experienced being shunned from social groups or relegation to undesirable tasks. 

“All workers should be free to speak out against racist abuse, but we know that sponsored care workers are often denied this right in practice. Many workers feel too scared to speak out in case their employer cancels their visa in retaliation. 

"We need urgent reform of the work sponsorship system to enable migrant care workers to speak out against racism and all forms of abuse.”

Photo credit: Jonathan Borba