TWO in three attacks on A&E staff involve discrimination, with many reporting daily abuse, health leaders have said.

A Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM) survey warned workers are being kicked and racially abused, with most reporting being subjected to violence or aggression every week.

The poll of 2,126 staff in emergency departments found 96 per cent have experienced violence or aggression from patients or other members of the public.

Some 73 per cent said this happened weekly or even daily, and two-thirds said the incidents involved discrimination against them.

One resident doctor, speaking anonymously, said: “Working in the emergency department, you brace yourself for a lot, but nothing truly prepares you for direct, hateful verbal abuse, especially when it’s racially charged.”

A consultant also told how they had been kicked in the face by an aggressive patient lying on a trolley.

One in 25 members of staff surveyed said they always felt safe working in emergency departments, while 57 per cent felt safe most of the time.

Some 41 per cent of staff who made a report said their NHS trust took meaningful action.

Launching the RCEM’s new Safe to Care campaign, its president Dr Ian Higginson said: “It is an appalling state of affairs which is contributing towards many people seriously considering whether emergency medicine — or even healthcare in general — is for them.

“We know that long waits and crowding are key drivers of this, but that is not the fault of staff — that’s on our governments.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Any acts of violence, abuse or harassment towards NHS staff are completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”