We are health workers, all with deep roots in the NHS.

We are appalled at the wave of racism currently degrading our society, ranging from the demonisation of asylum seekers and refugees to racist abuse and assaults, as far right groups build their influence around the UK. The ideas and sentiments involved are now spreading out into popular culture, on television and social media. The intimidation this produces means more and more people experience becoming the target of racism, living in fear for themselves and their families.

We regret that all this has been enabled by the statements and actions of mainstream politicians, including representatives of the Labour government, with Reform UK now proposing the deportation of hundreds of thousands of settled immigrants. Policies built on racism are a cheap and toxic substitute for genuine solutions to the many problems we face as a society.

We see the impact of this rise in racist abuse on patients and staff in the NHS, but also in our schools, on public transport, at sports venues and elsewhere. We see a Filipino nurse being abused and assaulted by an older couple in West Yorkshire. A local health worker from South Asia, wearing his NHS lanyard on the tram, is told by a respectable-looking woman to ‘go home’. NHS staff trying to provide care to asylum seekers living in a hotel are themselves subjected to intimidation. Some patients and colleagues have been scared to let their children out to play for fear of them being racially abused.

The divisions opening up in our communities have the potential to blight all our lives, especially those of the young people who are our future.

We are not willing to accept this situation.

We call on all NHS staff and everyone who shares our position to join us in building a broad movement to oppose the influence of racism and the far right.