It is ‘unforgiveable’ that some general practice nurses (GPNs) and colleagues have been the target of racist riots, the Queen’s Nursing Institute (QNI) has said, as several practices across the country close their doors early to protect staff.
QNI chief executive Dr Crystal Oldman said the organisation ‘deplores’ recent racist riots and ‘completely understands’ why GP practices are closing as far-right violence rises across the UK.
Following an attack in Southport last week, which resulted in the murder of three young girls, riots have broken out across the country following a rise in anti-immigration messaging and significant online misinformation.
The situation has seen multiple practices closing early or offering remote services to ensure the safety of ethnic minority staff, as reported by our sister title Pulse.
Dr Oldman told Nursing in Practice: ‘The QNI deplores the riots and the violence being seen on the streets of cities in the UK. No citizens should ever be made to feel unsafe on our streets in city centres.
‘We completely understand why GP practices are closing to avoid any risk to their staff. It is unforgivable that our GP and GPN colleagues would be the target of such racist behaviours.’
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She added that the NHS had relied on internationally educated colleagues since its inception and that the health service ‘could not function without them’.
‘The people who are participating in the riots, their families and loved ones rely on this same NHS family for their care throughout the life course and it makes no logical sense to attempt to intimidate and destroy the very experts they depend on for their health and wellbeing,’ said Dr Oldman.
Among the practices planning to close following concerns around further potential riots today are Firs Medical Centre and St James Medical Practice, both in Walthamstow, London.
Other practices, including Green Lane Surgery, Omnia Practice, and Ward End Medical Centre in Birmingham, all closed early on Monday following an escalation of violence in the nearby area.
Hartlepool and Stockton Health GP Federation had also taken the decision to stand down evening clinics in Stockton and Billingham on Monday to ‘prioritise the safety of our team and patients, lots of whom were scared and welcomed the chance to be rebooked another day’.
While all services are now running as normal, chief executive Fiona Adamson, said: ‘Many in our team, and in those of our practices, are scared and saddened at the riots that have happened in our local communities, and we are proud of how they have continued to provide excellent care to patients during these challenging times.
‘There are numerous nurses and wider team members from diverse backgrounds working locally in primary care services.
‘We all have a zero-tolerance approach to abuse and hope any aggression continues to be rare, as we know from feedback how much patients appreciate their care.’
Separately, a message from the Chesterfield GP training programme to GP registrars said it acknowledged ‘the significant and distressing challenges’ that ethnic minority staff are currently facing.
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‘Recent events have brought to light the troubling rise in Islamophobia and far-right extremism, which have not only targeted Muslim communities and those with ethnic minority heritage but also created an unsafe and hostile environment for many healthcare professionals,’ the message said.
The riots have seen many racially and religiously targeted attacks, including on some Filipino nurses who had rocks thrown at them on their way to deliver emergency care cover in Sunderland.
Dennis Singson, a Filipino-born advanced mental health nurse practitioner and executive secretary of the Filipino Senior Nurses’ Alliance, told Nursing in Practice: ‘It is a very disheartening and precarious time for all of us as we are again inevitably targeted because of our ethnic origin and the colour of our skin.
‘We are also enjoining others to reject racism and violence and strongly urge those who are affected by these atrocities to contact their respective senior leaders to additional help, advice and support.’
Earlier in the week, the general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), Professor Nicola Ranger, called on the government to ensure that anybody targeting migrant nursing staff ‘pays a very heavy price.’
Yesterday, the union updated its guidance on staff withdrawing care after health and social care secretary, Wes Streeting, said any abuse of nursing staff or health workers was grounds for turning away patients.
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‘Your employer has a duty of care to keep you safe at work. Whether that’s a hospital or delivering care alone in community settings,’ Professor Ranger said.
‘Your organisation needs to act urgently to reassure nursing staff, review risk assessments and implement any measures necessary to keep you safe.’
Parts of this article were first reported by our sister title Pulse
