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To those screaming "identity politics" over why the race and religion of five doctors on the frontline who have lost their lives to corona virus has been singled out, (all of whom were Muslim and from minority backgrounds). This is a thread for y'all 1/11 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/muslim-minority-doctors-die-front-line-uk-pandemic-200401082454308.html
An investigation by ITV News last year found racist attacks against NHS staff increased from 589 in 2013 to 1448 in 2017, an increase of 145%. I'm no mathematician, but a 145% increase sounds pretty damn horrific to me. 2/11 https://www.itv.com/news/2019-10-31/can-i-have-a-white-doctor-for-the-operation-racist-abuse-against-nhs-staff-almost-triples-itv-news-finds/
If the prime minister can describe Black people as "picannines", and Muslim women wearing the niqab as "letter boxes", are you surprised some patients have the gall to ask, ''Can I have a white doctor for the operation?' 3/11 https://www.itv.com/news/2019-10-31/can-i-have-a-white-doctor-for-the-operation-racist-abuse-against-nhs-staff-almost-triples-itv-news-finds/
According to campaigning organisation EveryDoctor, hundreds of overseas doctors last year said they considered leaving the UK as they were being treated unfairly as "second-class employees". 4/11 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/12/hundreds-of-foreign-doctors-mull-leaving-uk-over-crippling-fees
Non-EU migrants, including NHS medics from abroad, have to pay a £400 immigration surcharge for each individual of their household, every year, to use the NHS. 5/11 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/may/12/hundreds-of-foreign-doctors-mull-leaving-uk-over-crippling-fees
Your golden chap? @RishiSunak? He increased the surcharge to £624 a year for EU migrants. 6/11 https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/coronavirus-call-to-scrap-levy-paid-by-immigrant-nhs-staff-957t2k9gv
Until 2018, an annual cap of 20,700 skilled-workers from abroad was introduced in 2011. This included doctors and nurses. The then Home Sec Sajid Javid relaxed those measures when it became clear the NHS was (& still is) facing a staffing crisis. 7/11 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/jun/14/sajid-javid-confirms-cap-on-foreign-doctors-and-nurses-will-be-lifted
@MattHancock praised the doctors & health workers who lost their lives, saying they "paid the ultimate price of their service", & rightly so. This is the same guy who voted to continue the 1% cap on public sector & emergency workers wages in 2017. The hypocrisy is astounding 8/11
Student medics from Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) backgrounds have reported medical schools often “prefer to ignore racism” and often encounter patients who refuse to be treated by them. 9/11 https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/feb/14/bame-trainee-doctors-in-climate-of-fear-over-racism
According to research by the @gmcuk doctors from Black or minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds are twice as likely to face disciplinary action as doctors who are white. Doctors are white are more likely than BME medics to be promoted to consultant level 10/11 https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/25/nhs-treating-minority-ethnic-doctors-as-outsiders
I could go on. All that being said, remember their names:
1. Dr Habib Zaidi
2. Dr Alfa Sa'adu
3. Professor Sami Shousha
4. Dr Adil el Tayar
5. Dr Amged El-Hawrani
Not forgetting pharmacist Pooja Sharma and healthcare assistant Thomas Harvey who also died of corona virus. 11/11
1. Dr Habib Zaidi
2. Dr Alfa Sa'adu
3. Professor Sami Shousha
4. Dr Adil el Tayar
5. Dr Amged El-Hawrani
Not forgetting pharmacist Pooja Sharma and healthcare assistant Thomas Harvey who also died of corona virus. 11/11
