The Society of Radiographers have said racism is rising in the NHS. Their published findings are neither large enough nor systematic enough to establish a trend, but at first glance they chime with a recent survey that is: the NHS Staff Survey, sent annually to 1.5 million NHS staff. What does it mean that almost 10 per cent of NHS staff report discrimination each year? We are often told that the NHS is structurally racist, or that its poor outcomes derive from ethnic prejudice. Racism exists in the NHS, as it does everywhere, and it deserves attention.