Fran Hunter (Denham)

ALT As health workers we have been devastated to witness the recent riots across the country, motivated by the racist, Islamophobic and anti-migrant rhetoric of the far right, which has for too long been allowed to filter into mainstream discourse. We are clear that the NHS relies on a diverse workforce, including many migrants, and celebrate their valuable contribution to our society. We have been utterly appalled to see attacks on our own NHS colleagues. We call on fellow healthcare workers to offer support to patients and colleagues who may be increasingly vulnerable at this time. We congratulate the BMA on their strong stance condemning racism and fascism, and encouraging members to organise to keep their communities safe. We now urge our other health unions to follow suit and take active steps to stand up to racism and fascism within our communities. Allowing these ideas to flourish only compromises the safety of those we seek to protect.