Abusive patients could be refused treatment, says Lincolnshire trust

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust has launched a new anti-racism campaign

A hospital trust says it may refuse to treat patients who racially abuse staff.

United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (ULHT) data showed 25 out of 27 official discrimination complaints in 2021 were race-related.

Chief Executive Andrew Morgan said staff had been threatened with violence and subjected to racist insults.

The trust has launched a new anti-racism campaign following a rise in reports.

'Zero-tolerance'

Other patients had refused treatment "based on somebody's skin colour", Mr Morgan said, adding: "If you decline one of us, in effect you are declining all of us."

"We will obviously continue to provide life-saving treatment, but there may be occasions on which we decline treatment for people who are unwilling to behave in a way that is fair, decent and respectful.

"In order for our staff to be able to provide the best possible care to patients, we need to make sure that our teams are protected from racism," he said.

Mr Morgan said some of the abuse also involved other staff members, which he described as "equally unacceptable".

"We will take action against both - we have a zero-tolerance against both," he added.

The trust, which runs hospitals in Grantham, Boston and Lincoln, has published an action plan as part of its strategy, along with a range of posters to "empower staff to speak up" against racial abuse.