Racist abuse of nursing staff in the United Kingdom is rising sharply, with new analysis revealing a 55 percent increase in reports of racism over a three year period. The Royal College of Nursing says its advice line now receives about three calls a day from ethnic minority nurses seeking support after incidents of racial abuse or discrimination at work.

Records show the number of calls rose from around 58 per month in 2022 to 65 in 2023 and now more than 90 per month in 2025. The union expects the total number of calls to exceed to 1000 before the end of this year.

The reports include cases where nurses were told by managers that they should not have come to the United Kingdom after being denied annual leave. Others involved patients and family members refusing treatment from a nurse because of their race or nationality. One report described a patient’s family referring to a nurse as a slave.

Nicola Ranger, the general secretary of the Royal College of Nursing, called the spike in incidents absolutely disgusting and said it is a mark of shame that staff continue to face this kind of treatment. She reminded employers that they have a legal duty to ensure the workplace is safe for everyone.

Officials believe the real number of racist incidents is likely to be much higher because many go unreported. The union said the visible data represents only a small part of a much larger problem.

The rise comes at a time when public debate about migration and identity is growing louder. The union says the current political climate, combined with stretched health services and low staffing levels, has created conditions that allow hostility to thrive.

The examples shared by nursing staff show a wide range of behaviour, from discriminatory remarks to direct verbal abuse. One nurse described being repeatedly excluded from workplace conversations by colleagues. Another said they were forced to change departments after patients refused to be treated by them because of their skin colour.

Health experts have warned that such abuse has a direct effect on patient care and contributes to staff shortages. Many nurses who experience racism consider leaving the profession entirely, creating more pressure for those who remain. Nicola Ranger said discrimination drives people away from nursing and that it damages the system as a whole.

The Royal College of Nursing is now urging the government and health employers to take stronger action. The union has asked for new national guidance on how to deal with racist behaviour from patients and staff, and more training for managers on how to protect employees from discrimination. It has also called for politicians to stop using language that fuels division.

Union leaders say racism in healthcare is not just an individual issue but a cultural failure in workplaces that should represent care and equality. They reminded the public that the NHS depends on staff from every background and nationality, and that these professionals deserve respect and safety in return.

The organisation said it will continue to raise awareness of the issue, provide direct support to affected members, and press for meaningful reform. It has also encouraged nurses to keep reporting all incidents so that the scale of the problem can no longer be ignored.