RACISM is having a “devastating impact” on black and Asian nurses, who have less chance of promotion and suffer higher levels of abuse from patients, according to “deeply shocking” research.

Following a survey of nearly 10,000 nurses, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said that “structural racism” was endemic in the health and social-care sector and demanded that it be tackled in planned government changes to human rights legislation.

Black and Asian nurses also suffered particularly during the pandemic from shortages or reuse of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to the survey, which was released at the annual RCN congress in Glasgow.

The union questioned why proportionately more black and Asian nurses died from coronavirus and demanded that the issues be investigated by the forthcoming Covid-19 inquiry.

RCN diversity and equalities co-ordinator Bruno Daniel said: “Examples of racism experienced by nursing staff in the workplace are deeply shocking.

“The pandemic has shone a spotlight on structural racism in health and care services and we must seize this opportunity to stamp out this vile behaviour once and for all.” 

Stand up to Racism (SUTR) co-convenor Sabby Dhalu said: “We stand in solidarity with BAME nurses facing the difficulties of being overworked and woefully underpaid that all nurses face and also the added trauma of racism.

“This RCN survey is the latest in a long list of surveys and studies carried out in the last two years illustrating institutional racism in healthcare.”

She called for “a far-reaching and transformative public inquiry” similar to the inquiry into institutional racism sparked by Stephen Lawrence’s murder.

Zita Holbourne of Black Activists Rise Against Cuts (Barac) said: “Black and Asian nurses have been the backbone of the NHS for decades. 

“If it were not for migrant labour from the Caribbean, African and Asian regions in nursing, the NHS would have collapsed.

“This blatant discrimination is disgraceful but indicative of the barriers and double discrimination faced by black and brown women working in the public sector, which have been amplified by over a decade of austerity plus the pandemic. 

“I fully support RCN in their quest, but we shouldn't have to experience this combined racism and sexism in 2022.”