A recent survey conducted by the Society of Radiographers (SoR) has sparked alarm regarding an increase in racial hostility directed at medical staff within the National Health Service (NHS). This trend is particularly affecting African and Nigerian professionals who have migrated to the UK seeking better career prospects.
Diagnostic radiographer Paul Awah, a Nigerian native working in Bedfordshire, noted that racist language has become more overt. He stated that derogatory terms and aggressive rhetoric are increasingly common, noting that some patients falsely claim they cannot understand him despite English being his native tongue. These experiences are echoed by many others in the industry.
Reports from the survey include patients refusing care from non-white staff and using dehumanizing slurs. One documented instance involved a patient refusing a scan for his wife, stating he did not want a person of a different ethnic background touching her. Another staff member reported a patient claiming, ‘Black people frighten me.’ Such hostility extends to Asian healthcare workers as well, who report hearing xenophobic complaints about immigrants taking jobs.
The 2025 NHS Staff Survey indicates that 9.26 percent of personnel reported personal experiences of discrimination, marking a five-year high. This issue challenges the motivation of the ‘Japa’ movement, which has seen many Nigerians relocate for better pay and stability, only to encounter a hostile environment.
NHS England has responded firmly, with Chief Human Resources Officer Thomas Simons declaring that such abuse is intolerable. The organization is encouraging health facilities to implement stricter responses, which may include denying non-emergency care to patients who engage in racial abuse against staff members.
