After report finds racism against NHS staff has risen, People Management examines what employers should do ahead of new legal duties
6 August 2026
Employers will soon have an enhanced legal duty to protect workers from harassment by customers, clients, patients and other members of the public.
From 30 October, changes to the Equality Act 2010 will require employers to take reasonable steps to prevent third-party harassment in the workplace, meaning organisations will need to think more carefully about how they protect frontline staff.
The importance of those changes has been highlighted by a recent survey from the Society of Radiographers, which found a noticeable rise in racist abuse against NHS staff from patients in the past 18 months.
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The poll found many radiographers accepted racist remarks as “something they have to put up with”, citing incidents such as patients refusing to be treated by non-white staff or making negative comments about immigration.
Thomas Simons, chief human resources and organisational development officer at NHS England, said racism had no place in the health service.
“Our new national staff standards are clear that NHS organisations must take meaningful action to prevent and respond to racism, support affected staff and ensure there are clear consequences for...
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