Wes Streeting warns people who are racist to NHS staff should be turned away from care

People who are racist to NHS staff "can and should" be turned away from care, the Health Secretary has said.

Wes Streeting also commented on the Mirror story that two Filipino nurses in Sunderland were attacked with rocks thrown at their taxi on Friday evening.

Speaking during a visit to the Leeds Cancer Centre, Mr Streeting said: "I was appalled by reports of violence directed towards Filipino nurses in Sunderland. These were nurses going into work to provide emergency care and their attackers bring shame on our flag and shame on our country."

It comes a day after NHS England chief executive Amanda Pritchard criticised rioters saying they have left many foreign-born NHS workers feeling "afraid and unwelcome".

Mr Streeting added: "I will not tolerate, under any circumstances, NHS or social care staff in any health or care setting being subjected to intimidation, harassment or racist abuse. We have a zero tolerance policy in the NHS and we'll take a zero tolerance approach in social care too. People who are abusing NHS staff can be turned away, and should be turned away, if that is the way that they are treating our staff."

Family doctors and their teams have been urged to "remain vigilant, particularly when travelling to and from work", after reports of attacks on healthcare workers. The Royal College of GPs urged staff to travel in groups "where possible" and to try to avoid areas where there is known unrest.

Mr Streeting, tipped by some as a future Labour leader, said the Government "will not tolerate" the violence seen across towns and cities across England in the aftermath of the Southport stabbings. He said: "The Government will not tolerate the continuation of this mindless thuggery by far-right agitators in our country.

"I think the overwhelming majority of people in our country are utterly disgusted and appalled by the racism and violence on display. I think we are lucky to have people in our NHS and social care sectors who come from around the world to provide great, compassionate care.

"I am proud that we have those people in Britain. I think the vast majority of Brits are too. And those people that have hijacked our flag for their mindless, racist thuggery - they have no idea about this country's history or heritage, and they have brought enormous shame on our country by attacking NHS staff in this way."

On Monday, Professor Nicola Ranger, general secretary and chief executive of the Royal College of Nursing, said: "Migrant nursing staff are precious members of our communities, hardwired into the very DNA of our health and care services. We ask government to ensure that anybody targeting them pays a very heavy price."