Filipino nurses attacked as NHS community condemns racist riots
Nursing leaders have expressed their horror at racist violence across the UK, as two Filipino nurses have been among the targets of far-right rioters.
Riots first broke out in Southport, Merseyside last Tuesday (30 July) after far-right agitators began a misinformation campaign on social media falsely claiming the perpetrator of a mass knife attack on a group of children in the town the previous day was a Muslim.
“Together, we stand united in advocating for the safety, respect and dignity of our colleagues”
Louie Horne
Axel Rudakubana, a 17-year-old born in Cardiff, was arrested for the mass stabbing, which left three children dead and a further eight children and two adults injured.
In the wake of the incident, a large group of people attacked a mosque in Southport; this was followed by similar riots across the country.
Supporters of the technically-defunct English Defence League are among those believed to be responsible for the violence.
The riots have been characterised by racist chants, demands to deport migrants and violence against police and passersby who were not White.
On Sunday evening, rioters attacked two hotels known to be housing asylum seekers, in Rotherham, South Yorkshire and Tamworth, Staffordshire.
Healthcare workers were also among those targeted or otherwise caught up in racist attacks over the weekend.
On Friday evening, two NHS nurses were on their way to work, reportedly as emergency cover, via a taxi through Sunderland, Tyne and Wear.
Far-right rioters in the city centre that evening pelted the taxi containing the nurses, who were Filipino, with rocks. The nurses reportedly made it past the attackers without injury, but were left “terrified”, according to the Mirror.
Local groups have condemned the incident, including Sunderland Football Club and the county’s police force; as have those representing Filipino and other minority ethnic nurses.
Louie Horne, chair of the Filipino Senior Nurses Alliance UK, expressed “deep concern” about the attack, adding: “Filipino nurses have been a vital part of the NHS and social care since 1969, working tirelessly to provide high-quality care.
Louie Horne
“The Philippines has consistently been a primary source of international nurses for the UK, and our contributions to healthcare are significant and long-standing.”
Ms Horne, a senior matron, said she had been in contact with Filipino nurses elsewhere in the UK, including the Midlands, who told her they felt “scared to go to work”.
She continued: “Together, we stand united in advocating for the safety, respect and dignity of our colleagues, and we call on the community to join us in.”
Similarly, the Filipino Nurses Association UK issued the following statement: “[We] stand in firm support of our fellow Filipino NHS nurses who were recently targeted in Sunderland.
“We condemn in the strongest terms the racism, violence and hostility directed towards these dedicated healthcare professionals as they made their way to provide essential emergency care.
“Our nurses, who have shown remarkable commitment and resilience, should never have to face such intimidation.
“The assault on them not only threatens their safety but also undermines the critical role they play in our healthcare system.”
The group called on people to “unite against such acts of violence” and to respect all healthcare workers.
It added: “We are calling to stop this unrest and to re-establish peace and harmony in our communities.”
As reports emerged of the scale of the disorder across the UK, particularly the racist abuse aimed at minority ethnic people, migrants and refugees, leading public figures spoke out against the rioters.
Royal College of Nursing general secretary and chief executive Professor Nicola Ranger described the weekend’s events as “nothing short of despicable racism”.
She added: “Migrant nursing staff are precious members of our communities, hardwired into the very DNA of our health and care services – we ask government to ensure that anybody targeting them pays a very heavy price.”
She said the racist riots “have no place in our society and we join fully in the condemnation of them”.
Professor Ranger added that NHS organisations and other health leaders had a responsibility to reassure staff and make sure they were safe.
Nicola Ranger
“Nursing staff of every nationality and ethnic heritage are holding the health service together, dealing with the fallout of these racist attacks,” she said.
“They are a credit to our profession and a powerful reminder of the strength we find in diversity and unity.”
Duncan Burton, recently-appointed chief nursing officer for England, also condemned the attacks.
He wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “I am extremely proud of our diverse and multicultural workforce which is an enduring strength of the NHS.
“I condemn this racist violence and stand in support of our staff and local communities.
“I know it is a very difficult time for many colleagues so please ask for support. Thank you to our emergency services who continue to work to keep people safe.”
Amanda Pritchard
NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard has also spoken out.
In a lengthy statement issued earlier today (5 August), Ms Pritchard began by paying tribute to the NHS staff who responded to the knife attack on 29 July which some have used to justify the race riots.
The NHS boss said she knew how difficult incidents such as the knife attack were and urged staff to support each other.
However, she continued: “The riots that followed in Southport, and then other towns and cities over the course of the week, also warrant – indeed they require – comment.
“The deplorable violence, intimidation and thuggery we have seen – and particularly the arson attack on the hotel in Rotherham housing asylum seekers – can and should be lent no justification.
“It is fundamentally wrong, fundamentally un-British, and a source of deep shame.”
She noted how migration had been key to sustaining the NHS and that many members of staff may be feeling “afraid and unwelcome” after the last weekend.
“To those colleagues, my message is simple: you are welcome, you are a valued member of our community, and that community should look after you,” she further said.
