NHS staff providing care in patients' homes are reporting that some areas have effectively become 'no-go zones' due to the presence of St George's flags, according to senior health leaders.
Deliberate Intimidation of Black and Asian Staff
One NHS trust chief executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that black and Asian staff felt 'deliberately intimidated' by flags displayed across many parts of England during the summer months. 'We saw during the time the flags went up, our staff, who are a large minority of black and Asian staff, feeling deliberately intimidated,' the chief executive stated.
He added that the situation created an environment where 'it feels like it's an area that's designed to exclude them,' noting that staff had felt intimidated and that 'in many cases I think that's what it was designed to feel like.' The flags appeared to be creating boundaries that made community healthcare workers feel unwelcome and unsafe.
Wider Pattern of Racism and Abuse
The disclosure comes just one week after Health Secretary Wes Streeting warned that NHS staff were facing a resurgence of 'ugly' racism reminiscent of the 1970s and 1980s. A second trust chief executive confirmed that the 'springing up of flags everywhere has created another form of intimidation and concern for many.'
This executive recounted a disturbing incident where a white staff member with mixed-race children faced sustained abuse after simply asking flag-displayers to move so she could park her car. 'The individuals filmed what was happening and then followed her, and she continued to receive abuse over a series of several days,' they reported, emphasizing the incident wasn't about objecting to flags but merely disturbing those installing them.
Impact on Community Healthcare Services
The Royal College of Nursing has expressed serious concern about the broader implications. Professor Nicola Ranger, the union's general secretary, stated: 'A sustained campaign of anti-migrant rhetoric is fuelling a growing cesspool of racism, including against international and ethnic minority nursing staff, without whom our health and care system would simply cease to function.'
She highlighted that community-based staff feel particularly vulnerable, and employers have a duty to ensure their protection. 'Following a summer of further racist disorder, it is little wonder a growing number of nursing staff report feeling unsafe, particularly when having to work on their own and often at night,' Professor Ranger added.
The Department of Health and Social Care advised that health personnel experiencing threats or aggression should report incidents to police. A DHSC spokesperson stated: 'There is no place for intimidation, racism or abuse in our country or our NHS. Instances of threats and aggression towards staff or their families should be reported to the police.'
The spokesperson added: 'Our flags represent our history, our heritage, and our values. They are a symbol of our nation and belong to all of us – not just some of us.'
Meanwhile, NHS bosses are also concerned that the five-day strike by resident doctors in England starting on Friday – their 13th walkout since March 2023 – could undermine recent improvements in healthcare services.
Daniel Elkeles, chief executive of hospitals group NHS Providers, warned: 'More strikes now could crush this fragile, hard-won progress, wiping out a once in a generation opportunity to fix the health service.'
