Muslim health workers have reported an increase in abuse since the beginning of the far-right riots last week along with unprecedented fear, heads of an association representing health workers have said.
The British Islamic Medical Association (Bima), has said some of the 7,000 Muslim staff it represents have been left to feel “vulnerable and deeply concerned for their safety” on a scale which hasn’t before been seen.
It added: “Refusing to call out Islamophobia and permissive responses from authorities have allowed it to become one of the most tolerated forms of racism.”
An increasing number of workers have reportedly been victims of Islamophobic slurs as one Nurse remarked that “I now worry about my safety every day I am on the frontline.”
In a statement to NHS leaders this week, Bima called for a range of measures to support staff, including allowing for flexible arrangements for home working and to increase support to ethnic minority staff.
The association’s Vice President Dr Sahira Dar, who has witnessed messages about abuse pouring into WhatsApp groups from Bima NHS staff, said: “We’ve heard of incidents of health care professionals being racially abused and threatened, even on their way to work as travelling by car doesn’t even protect some of them. I’ve been told of an incident of someone banging on the window of a woman who had Islamophobic abuse hurled at her.”
Dr Dar has also heard of people closing up their GP surgery early, and of people being trapped in their practice.
She added: “There is definitely an unprecedented culture of fear being developed because of the riots. We need support networks to protect our colleagues during this difficult time but we also need to know support is coming from the top to help health care professionals and staff and patients. Some are already vulnerable and have this added fear of leaving their homes.
“This is making for an increasingly stressed environment for the NHS which is already working under pressure.”Condemning on Wednesday the “mindless thuggery” seen on British streets over the past week, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said that people who were racist to NHS staff “can be turned away, and should be”.
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard also condemned the disorder, saying earlier this week that the violence has left many NHS workers feeling “afraid and unwelcome”.
The far-right riots began across the country after false news spread about the identity of the suspect in the Southport knife attack that killed three young girls.
