Under United Kingdom’s National Health Service (NHS) new rules, medical care providers are allowed to refuse non-critical care to patients who are “racist,” “sexist,” “homophobic,” or physically or verbally aggressive towards hospital staff.

It is still unclear as to how the NHS will determine if a patient is exhibiting racist, sexist, or homophobic behavior. However, they currently have a protocol in place that allows them to refuse to treat anyone who is “aggressive” or “violent” out of concern for the well-being of health care workers. It’s unclear how medical workers will be able to determine if a patient is being “racist,” sexist,” or “homophobic,” or if they are suffering from mental disorder.

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced to all NHS staff in a letter there will be an investigation into the abuse and harassment towards staff and “no act of violence or abuse is minor” since “being assaulted or abused is not part of the job.”

“Far too often I hear stories that the people you are trying to help lash out. I’ve seen it for myself in A&E’s, on night shifts, and on ambulances. I would be horrified that any member of the public would abuse or physically assault a member of our NHS staff, but it happens too often,” said Hancock in a statement.

Sky News reported one out of seven of the 569,000 staff members had been physically attacked, and the staff working on ambulances, mental health wards, or learning disability trust were affected the worst by abuse and violence. NHS Chief executive Sir Simon Stevens stated his service was “determined to clamp down on abuse and aggression in all its forms.”

A study by the Parliamentary and Health Service ombudsman conducted in 2019 revealed one in five mental health patients do not feel safe in NHS care, nad more than half of people with mental health problems in England also said their treatment was delayed, while 42% said they were diagnosed too late.”