Workplace racism a ‘key challenge in healthcare’

New research from the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) found that racism towards patients and practitioners is detrimental to health outcomes and impacts access to medical services.

RACGP released its Health of the Nation 2025 report, revealing the prevalence and impact of racism in the health profession.

Its president, Dr Michael Wright, said: “Racism in the health system is an issue that affects healthcare workers and patients alike. It is not something we can ignore, and it is certainly not something that will fix itself.”

In a survey, it asked 2,400 RACGP members nationwide about their experiences of racism within the healthcare system over the past 12 months.

According to its findings, 30 per cent of GPs observed racism towards patients in the healthcare system; only six in 10 felt confident to deal with it.

Racism was also witnessed by more than one in 10 (14 per cent) GPs in their own practices.

“No one should be at risk of discrimination when seeking healthcare, and no GP should be made to feel unsafe in their own workplace,” Wright said.

Patients were not the only ones who were victims of racism – GPs also suffered from racial prejudice.

Almost one in five (18 per cent) GPs said they have personally experienced racism from a patient, and one in 10 have personally experienced racism from a colleague, said the report.

“This underscores the need for systemic change to eliminate racism and embed cultural safety to ensure equity and safety for both patients and healthcare providers,” the report said.

Wright said: “We’ve called on the government to fund resources to monitor, measure, and prevent racism in primary care, including general practices. Racism is complex, multifaceted, and to many people, invisible. You can’t address racism until you can measure how prevalent it is, how it affects patients and general practice team members, and monitor which actions and strategies help eliminate it.”

“It’s a relatively minor investment with major potential to provide important insights, and help create healthcare environments that are culturally safe, where GPs and practice teams can identify and address racism with confidence.”

He added: “We need to co-design health policy with patients and healthcare providers from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds, and implement meaningful reform to ensure our health system is safe for everyone in Australia.”

“It is time for a comprehensive response to tackling systemic racism in the health system, including establishing a taskforce to implement recommendations from the National Anti-Racism Framework.”

The RACGP has also implemented an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural and health training framework to support culturally safe care, Wright said.

“We all have a role to play in understanding the impacts of systemic racism in health,” he said.

He warned: “Racism makes people sick. It has significant health impacts, causing stress and contributing to poorer outcomes across a range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and psychological distress. Racism can also prevent people from seeking the care they need.”

“The message is unmistakable: racism is bad for people’s health, and patients and GPs must be protected from it.”