The head of an association representing Muslim health workers has said it has recorded an increase in racist abuse since the beginning of the far-right riots last week, with “unprecedented” fear among NHS staff.
Dr Salman Waqar, the president of the British Islamic Medical Association (Bima), which represents about 7,000 healthcare staff, said health workers had been left in fear and affected personally and professionally.
Waqar said: “I’ve seen some really terrible messages, particularly coming out from Belfast and in Greater Manchester, of people having to close up their GP surgery early, of people being trapped in their practices, of people having to take taxis back and forth from work, people not going on home visits, people working remotely from home, there’s too many to mention and to count.”
He shared a video and screenshots of text messages from NHS staff, who contacted him about the abuse they had faced in the past week including being called a racial slur and an individual threatening to “kill this Muslim man”.
Waqar said: “From our perspective, in terms of our members reporting how fearful they are, reporting how they’re having to think twice about what they do, international colleagues questioning whether or not they have a future in the UK. That is unprecedented, I’ve never seen anything like this before. In terms of the volume, in terms of the strength of feeling, there is no comparison to it.”
He added: “The amount of chatter on social media, on WhatsApp groups, the amount of messages that people are sending to each other to be safe, to look out for one another, that is not normal. And that is absolutely alarming, it’s unprecedented.”
Far-right riots spread across England after false news spread about the identity of the perpetrator of the Southport knife attack that killed three young girls.
The British Egyptian Medical Association (Bema), which represents approximately 11,000 doctors, dentists and pharmacists, echoed Waqar’s concerns. It had also observed a “troubling increase in fear of racist abuse and discrimination among our members”, which has disrupted their ability to provide care “effectively”.
Bema said: “Our members, especially those working in frontline healthcare roles, have expressed heightened concerns about their safety and wellbeing in light of these incidents. The environment has become increasingly hostile, contributing to significant stress and anxiety among medical professionals.”
It added: “The atmosphere of intimidation has led to increased absenteeism, reduced morale and a general sense of insecurity among healthcare workers. This situation is detrimental to the overall healthcare delivery system, as it affects the wellbeing of those who are critical to its operation.”
The concerns of healthcare workers were highlighted by the chief executive of NHS England, Amanda Pritchard, who said on Monday: “We shouldn’t let dedication to duty disguise the fact that for many NHS workers, seeing this flare-up of racism will leave them feeling afraid and unwelcome.”
The London ambulance service also revealed on Monday that some staff were “reporting an increase in racial abuse and hostility from a small minority”. In response the health secretary, Wes Streeting, said on Wednesday that people who were racist to NHS staff “can and should” be turned away.
Bima and the NHS Muslim Women’s Network have called on the relevant healthcare institutions to specifically acknowledge Islamophobic abuse. “Refusing to call out Islamophobia and permissive responses from authorities have allowed it to become one of the most tolerated forms of racism,” Bima said on Monday.
Waqar said: “What we don’t see is the assurances that we need to see … whether it’s from the regulator, whether it’s from the government, that recognises that this is targeted to us in our community and who we are, and to people who look like us.
“And when you don’t see that, I think you feel very vulnerable, very exposed and it becomes a lot more difficult for you to deal with it.”
