10 June 2026
Responding to the NHS Alliance’s calls for a campaign on respect for NHS staff, Dr Ian Higginson, President of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, said: “Every day in our hospitals, staff experience absolutely vile behaviour from some members of the public.
“Physical attacks, verbal abuse and threats of violence have become commonplace. We continue to hear deeply concerning accounts from our members about the abuse they face while caring for patients.
“While violence and aggression are problems faced by all NHS workers, the levels of racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia and all other forms of discrimination my colleagues face on a daily basis have become distressing and at times beyond belief.
“Driving this are societal issues which reach far beyond the doors of our departments. Meanwhile, the responses from employers and authorities often feel lacklustre.
“We support any measures or campaigns which would support our staff and stamp out this shocking abuse targeted at people just doing their jobs – people who have come to work to save lives, and who do so without regard for the background of their patients.”