London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 10, 2025

Hospital ban for racists? NHS plan to hand out ‘red cards’ to patients who offend medical staff debated on RT

Hospital ban for racists? NHS plan to hand out ‘red cards’ to patients who offend medical staff debated on RT

Patients who direct racist or sexist abuse at hospital staff could have their treatment withdrawn – as soon as is medically safe – under a new disciplinary system which would see ‘red cards’ handed out to repeat offenders.
The ‘Red Card to Racism’ scheme was recently implemented by the NHS’s North Bristol Trust (NBT) in response to increasing incidents of racist behavior from patients toward medical professionals. But the proposal has triggered mixed reactions.

“A message that there’s zero tolerance towards [racism] will lead to a level of self control,” Weyman Bennett, co-convenor of the Stand up to Racism campaign told RT, adding that “most of these people will find that once their behavior is deemed unacceptable, they realize that they can no longer behave like that.”

Stephen Morris, the national secretary for the English Democrats Party, challenged Bennett’s view in the on-air debate, saying that the NHS “is there to treat people” and it should do so “without question.”

Under the scheme, a patient who is sexist or racially abusive toward staff would be warned and receive a “yellow card” initially – but if the behavior continues, they would be given a “red card” and have their treatment withdrawn as soon as it is medically safe, NBT chief Andrea Young told the BBC.

The goal is to “challenge and report” incidents of abuse, to send a “strong signal that any racism or discrimination is completely unacceptable” and will be met with consequences, she said.

Yet, trying to monitor sexism and racism in this way can “open a massive can of worms,” Morris said, if a patient holds views meaning they don’t want to be treated by a certain type of person.

“Somebody who may have philosophical or religious beliefs about being treated by women or being treated by a certain person, then their philosophical and religious beliefs have to be also respected – and if the NHS are not going to respect their views on that, then they’re going to fall foul of the Equality Act,” he said.

Bennett disagreed, arguing that there is “no reason to respect” the fact that someone simply refuses to be treated by a black person or an Asian person, for instance. “Being a racist isn’t a ‘philosophical view,’ it’s just plain wrong,” he said. “People that are racist need to be challenged and it has to be done in such a way that they can simply understand that their behavior is unacceptable,” he added.

The heightened tensions and stress of being in hospital, however, are not “normal circumstances,” Morris said – and even asking someone to just calm down could actually “escalate the situation.”

“What you need to do is make sure you get them treated, get them out, report [the behavior] and then get them prosecuted if need be – afterwards,” he said. “If you start issuing yellow cards and red cards in the hospitals, that’s going to aggravate people more.”

In Bennett’s view, however, it would be “easier for health professionals to give people a warning about their behavior without necessarily bringing in the police and the courts.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Severe Heatwave Claims 2,300 Lives Across Europe
NVIDIA Achieves Historic Milestone as First Company Valued at $4 Trillion
Declining Beer Consumption Signals Cultural Shift in Germany
Linda Yaccarino Steps Down as CEO of X After Two Years
US Imposes New Tariffs on Brazilian Exports Amid Political Tensions
Azerbaijan and Armenia are on the brink of a historic peace deal.
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Weinstein Victim’s Lawyer Says MeToo Movement Still Strong
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Labour Expected to Withdraw Support for Special Needs Funding Model
Leaked Audio Reveals Tory Aide Defending DEI Record
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
×