Trade unions issue blistering joint statement on racism undermining healthcare

The British Medical Association (BMA) has issued an unprecedented warning that racist and xenophobic rhetoric are undermining healthcare rights in the UK. Whilst the BMA published the joint statement, several other prominent medical bodies and two major unions also gave their support.

It states in no uncertain terms that we owe our healthcare system to the efforts of international workers. As such, it calls out the current rise in populist xenophobia as the danger to public health that it is:

Our health and social care sector is built on the hard work and rich diversity of its workforce. Many of our colleagues, especially those from international backgrounds or perceived as ethnically distinct from the majority population, are facing a sustained campaign of anti-migrant rhetoric.

Healthcare rights under attack

The list of organisations which lent their support to the letter is quite extensive. It includes trade unions Unite and Unison, along with the BMA itself. Likewise, it also comprises several other medical associations, such as the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), British Dental Association, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, Hospital Consultants and Specialists Association, and Society of Radiographers.

The statement begins:

The escalating use of hostile language allows some political parties to exploit fear and promote division and emboldens those in society who seek to intimidate.

This rhetoric also comes at a time when the rights of those who live and work in the UK to continue to make the UK their home are being openly questioned, including tens of thousands of people working within the health and social care sector. People are unsettled and frightened, with some directly experiencing hate and violence at work and within their communities.

The publication of the unusual joint statement sees unions and professional bodies working together to defend international workers. They’re under threat from the escalating hostility towards migrants amongst members of the British public.

This includes the far-right race riots that swept the country in 2024. They resulted in an Asian man being stabbed, a Black man being beaten, and mobs laying siege to several mosques. More recently, the pathetic ‘Unite the Kingdom’ rallies were organised by petty thug Tommy Robinson in September, opposing asylum seekers pursuing safety in the UK.

Meanwhile, British politicians have been pouring fuel on the fire. Reform have pledged to scrap indefinite leave to remain. This threatens thousands of people with deportation; prominent trade unionists described it as “completely unworkable” and “abhorrent beyond words”.

Alternatively, Reform-lite Labour recently proposed doubling the amount of time overseas workers would need to spend in the country before they could apply for indefinite leave to remain. Professor Nicola Ranger, the RCN general secretary, said that this would mean UK healthcare would effectively “cease to function”.

The statement adds:

In the face of this blatant scapegoating of migrant communities, we stand united in our commitment to uphold the values of dignity, respect and equality for all individuals.

As leading trade unions and professional associations within the UK, representing workers within the health and social care sector, we reject any form of discrimination and oppose all forms of racism and xenophobia.

Together we will continue to advocate for policies that promote inclusion, protect human rights, and
foster a culture of empathy and understanding. We call on the media, and politicians to stop spreading
misinformation for political gain and engage in evidence-based discourse around immigration.

Affirming solidarity with international workers

BMA deputy chair Emma Runswick also signed the statement, which emphasises the association’s solidarity with the NHS’ international workforce. It also calls on politicians to create policies that foster inclusion and empathy with all immigrants for whom the UK is a home.

It ends by stating:

The health and care sector in the UK has always been reliant on the commitment and expertise of its international workforce. Figures from NHS England and Skills for Care show that in England, 776,000 workers – around a quarter of the total workforce of just over three million – are non-British nationals.

We affirm our solidarity with the international workforce and migrant communities, recognising their essential past and continued contribution to the NHS and wider society.’

Gutting our own healthcare system just to spite immigrants is a painfully British bit of reactionary malice. This country is under threat, that much is true. However, it’s two-faced liars like Farage, spineless cowards like Starmer, and racist lowlives like Tommy Robinson who are putting us all in danger.

The joint call from the unions and medical associations demonstrates much-needed unity between workers from both within and without the UK. Worker’s rights are migrant rights, and vice versa. An attack on the one harms us all, and it’s long past time we recognised that fact.

Featured image via the Canary