In August 2024, BIMA launched an online survey to record the experiences of Muslim healthcare professionals (HCP) following the racist and Islamophobia riots that spread across the UK in the summer. We received 295 responses revealing insights into the ongoing challenges faced by HCPs in the wake of the recent riots, with a particular focus on Islamophobia, safety, and institutional support.
Over a third of respondents reported experiencing or witnessing Islamophobic or racist incidents from colleagues or patients in the three week period following the riots. Female respondents were slightly more likely to experience Islamophobia. However, the survey also revealed that this is part of a broader, long-standing issue, as around two-thirds had previously encountered Islamophobia at work, highlighting the scale of the Islamophobia within the workplace.
One respondent shared how terrifying some of these incidents could be: “a patient again was racially abusive. A witness reported to the police independently as I was trapped in my car after hours and unable to leave the site as the patient refused to leave the premises. My husband had to come and get me away from him.”
Respondents described the fear and responsibility of trying to prevent escalation of racist incidents from patients themselves: “It feels like these riots have empowered them to express their hate for foreigners and Islamophobia even during their time of need for healthcare. It takes a lot of restraint, and it’s more exhausting to manage these consultations. It is frightening as I don’t know how the consultation will end but so far I managed to prevent escalation.”
In terms of support, many felt let down by their employers and professional bodies. Just under half of respondents did not feel that their employer or institution had taken an appropriate stance against the violence. When asked whether organisations within their professional lives treated all forms of discrimination equally, most respondents disagreed. The government received the lowest rating, with two-thirds disagreeing that it treated all forms of discrimination equally, followed by professional regulators and national NHS leadership where three-fifths felt they didn’t treat discrimination equally.
One respondent noted: “I am visibly Muslim. During the riots, no one—neither my colleagues nor my immediate managers—approached me or asked me if I am ok going home etc. In fact, it was a topic not discussed at all.”
The survey also painted a bleak picture regarding safety. A striking 62.6% of respondents reported feeling unsafe or very unsafe travelling to their place of work or study, with 21.1% feeling “very unsafe.” Concerns about safety were also present at work, with almost a third feeling unsafe while at work or study and over half feeling unsafe when lone working. Online safety was also a concern, with half of respondents expressing worry about their digital security. In response to these concerns, 82.3% of respondents reported changing their lifestyle for safety reasons, including avoiding public transport and public spaces.
One respondent described: “A middle-aged white man riding a bike shouted [a racial slur] at me whilst I was walking to work in my scrubs (this happened in front of the hospital early in the morning).”
A significant number of healthcare professionals are now considering leaving their jobs or even the UK. 44.4% of respondents said they had considered leaving the NHS due to the levels of racism and Islamophobia they faced. Interestingly, healthcare professionals trained outside the UK were more likely to consider leaving compared to their UK-trained counterparts. However, nearly three-quarters of respondents had considered leaving the UK entirely, with more UK-trained healthcare professionals considering this option than those trained abroad. This suggests that the NHS continues to be a significant pull factor for foreign-trained professionals, but racism and discrimination are pushing many Muslim HCPs to reconsider their future in the country.
Overall, our survey highlighted the urgent need for action to address the deep-rooted issues of racism, Islamophobia, and safety within the healthcare sector, as well as the broader societal and institutional support systems that must do more to protect and support healthcare professionals from all backgrounds. Without decisive action, these systemic Islamophobia and racism risks undermining the well-being of healthcare professionals and the equitable delivery of care within the NHS.