<2>NHS Staff Survey Reveals Alarming Rates of Violence and Abuse
<3>Physical Attacks on Resident Doctors on the Rise
The latest NHS staff survey has shed light on the “toxic” racism and increasing violence faced by doctors in the National Health Service. Conducted between September and November 2025, the survey garnered over 766,000 responses from NHS staff in England, highlighting the pressing need for improvement in staff morale and burnout reduction.
<3>Racism Persists in the NHS
The survey exposed the “persistent” and “toxic” racism faced by NHS staff, with white doctors being more likely to experience physical attacks and abuse from patients or members of the public. Conversely, doctors from ethnic minorities were more likely to experience attacks or abuse from managers or colleagues. This stark contrast underscores the need for targeted interventions to address these issues.
<3>NHS England’s Response
NHS England has acknowledged that it has not moved swiftly enough to address staff problems and has promised to make the NHS a better place to work. However, the survey’s findings suggest that more needs to be done to address the systemic issues plaguing the NHS.
Call to Action
The NHS staff survey serves as a wake-up call