Over one in five young GPs has experienced racism at work

Over one in five (22%) of young GPs has experienced racism in the workplace, a survey carried out by MDDUS has revealed.

The medical defence organisation received responses from 400 GPs, GP registrars and GP trainees aged between 24 and 34.

In the vast majority of cases it was a patient who carried out this behaviour, the research showed, with 84% of respondents who had experienced racism at work saying a patient had carried out the behaviour.

Over a third, 34%, also experienced the behaviour from friends or family of a patient.

However 33% said a peer level colleague was the perpetrator and 30% has experienced racism from a supervisor or manager.

More than two thirds of GPs who had experienced racism at work were of an Asian/Asian British background, while 15% were of a Black/African/Caribbean/Black British background.

One in 10 – 11% – of GPs who had experienced racism at work were White; 5% said they were from an other Ethnic Group not listed; and 3% were from Mixed/Multiple Ethnic Groups.

Worryingly, 55% of GPs who had experienced racism at work aid they did not receive adequate support for the racism they were subjected to.

Nearly a quarter (23%) said they were worried or anxious about going to work due to racism.

Some 16% said they felt that their career progression has been impacted by racism and one fifth (20%) said they have considered leaving the profession altogether due to racism,

MDDUS chief medical officer Dr John Holden said: ‘Doctors from a minority ethnic background and those who qualified overseas and are registered to practice here in the UK are part of the backbone of the NHS.

‘Their focus is their patients, and they do not deserve to be distracted from this by hateful racist attacks.

‘Our findings highlight the debilitating impact on young doctors who experience racism at work. It is very distressing to hear about how badly it affects them both personally and professionally.

‘They also spell out the impact racism has on staff retention and wellbeing at a time when the NHS is under pressure and needs to do everything it can to keep colleague morale high.’

MDDUS also sent FOI requests to investigate the extent of hate crimes reported to the police as having happened in a healthcare setting, finding 33 instances of hate crimes in GP practices in 2021 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Only 21 out of 45 UK police forces responded to the FOI request and Police Scotland denied the information request entirely citing costs.

The GMC recently launched a new hub aimed at providing assistance to doctors who experience racism and discrimination at work.

A recent BMA survey showed that 76% of doctors had experienced racism in their workplace in the past two years.