Black nurse traumatised by racism and violence at East Kent hospital

POLICE INVESTIGATE ALLEGED ATTACK AT WILLIAM HARVEY

- By HEDI MEHREZ

A BLACK nurse working at an east Kent hospital has spoken out about the “constant” racial abuse she endures while on the job, including a violent assault which took place just last month.

The nurse, who wished to remain anonymous, said one incident at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford left her traumatised after a visitor hurled racial slurs at her and her colleagues, then attacked her from behind.

The alleged incident happened on Friday, May 2, while she was assisting colleagues.

The nurse explained that the attacker, a patient's daughter, first insulted her and then became physically aggressive.

She said: “She came with a patient and she’s talking to me ‘Oh you Black b***** I hate you. My dad has been asking for his inhaler and you have been ignoring him.

“So I came to her, and said to her, ‘I've never looked after your dad but I can look to see and assist you.’ I turned to my colleague and I asked, ‘is the medication prescribed for the patient? My colleague said: ‘yes, but he refused it!’

“So I turned to the visitor and I said to her, ‘let me have a look at the prescription on the computer, then I can help your dad.”

However, the situation escalated when the visitor’s daughter physically attacked her from behind. She said: “I just felt somebody slapping me on my back. “That was the visitor. So, of course, I felt attacked.