Migrant workers blamed for NHS pressuresAwah said some patients appeared to view migrant healthcare professionals as responsible for their inability to obtain medical appointments and other public services. Patients claim they cannot understand himAwah said one form of discrimination he repeatedly encountered involved patients claiming they could not understand him. Other non-white NHS workers reported similar experiences. ‘It affects you mentally and emotionally’Awah warned that repeated racism can have a serious psychological impact on migrant healthcare workers. Those consequences could include refusing non-emergency treatment to patients who racially abuse healthcare workers.