Government announces plans to tackle NHS antisemitism

The Government has announced plans to take urgent action on antisemitism in the NHS, including the announcement of a “rapid review” by antisemitism advisor Lord Mann, as well as a roll-out of mandatory strengthened racism and antisemitism training across the National Health Service.

Under the new plans, NHS England, the official oversight body for the health service in England, will be asked to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism, and set clear expectations that every Trust, Integrated Care Board, and arms-length body does the same.

The move from the government comes after a series of highly controversial decisions by the Medical Practitioner Tribunal Service (MPTS) relating to doctors who regularly post screeds online about “Jewish supremacy”, and have shared a series of conspiracy theories about institutions and organisations in the UK. Both Dr Rehiana Ali and Dr Rahmeh Aladwan were allowed by the MPTS to retain their licences while the General Medical Council investigates their conduct. Jewish patients at different hospitals have also reported facing discrimination from NHS staff, particularly since the Hamas mass-murder of 7 October and the resultant Gaza War.

Speaking about the government’s new plans, the Prime Minister said that “the discrimination staff and patients have faced because of their race or religion goes against everything our country stands for.

“The NHS was built on the principle that everyone should be treated equally and with respect, and I am determined to restore this to the heart of the health service.

“That’s why I have asked Lord Mann to root out this problem and ensure perpetrators are always held to account.”

Last week, the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, discussed the possibility of the introduction of new powers which would enable Ministers to intervene in cases of extreme behaviour by doctors prior to the engagement of the MPTS. He has made it clear that he does not have faith in the current medical disciplinary system.

Commenting on the government’s announcement, Streeting said: “The NHS should be there for all of us when we need it – regardless of income, race, or religion. Discrimination undermines everything our health service stands for, and undermines its ability to provide quality care.

“I have been appalled by recent incidents of antisemitism by NHS doctors, and I will not tolerate it. There can be no place in our NHS for doctors or staff continuing to practise after even persistently using antisemitic or hateful language.

“Patients put their lives in the hands of healthcare professionals. They treat us at our most vulnerable. They therefore have a special responsibility to provide total comfort and confidence.

“I am grateful to Lord Mann for taking on this work. I expect his recommendations, and the action we are taking today, to help us enforce a zero-tolerance policy to racism in healthcare.”

Lord Mann, previously Labour MP for Bassetlaw, has served as advisor on antisemitism to successive governments and recently co-chaired a Board of Deputies’ inspired Commission on Antisemitism with Penny Mordaunt. It is understood that he will report to the Health Secretary, with practical recommendations to strengthen protections against antisemitism and other forms of racism in healthcare. He said:

“The NHS and the health sector pride themselves on being welcoming, inclusive and professional in dealings with every one of us, as we are all patients at different times and in different ways throughout our entire life.

“Everyone in the country should be confident in these underlying principles at all times.

“This review will look at the issues that can undermine the confidence of individuals when seeking or receiving healthcare.

“Ensuring that the systems and culture of regulation across the health service match, at all times, the universal principles and ethics that underpin our NHS will be the sole focus of this work.”

Announcement of the review was positively received by key Jewish communal organisations, including the Board of Deputies, Jewish Medical Association, Jewish Leadership Council and Jewish Care.

The Jewish Medical Association, whose own doctors have been directly targeted by both Rehiana Ali and Rahmeh Aladwan, said:

“For the past two years the Jewish Medical Association has become increasingly concerned about blatant expressions of antisemitism – simply anti-Jewish racism – that have become widely tolerated across healthcare. British Jewish healthcare students, professionals and patients find this profoundly distressing and intimidating.

“JMA welcomes Lord Mann’s review of the role of regulators in eliminating this toxic culture for Jews.

“We have long called for IHRA definition adoption, for effective mandatory training for staff in the NHS, regulators and other key players to combat antisemitism, and for implementation of uniform policy, all to help make healthcare a prejudice-free, politics-free environment.”

Board Vice President Andrew Gilbert welcomed the measures from the government, noting that “for much of the last two years, Jewish staff and patients have felt let down by the NHS while antisemitism has been allowed to flourish and thrive with hospitals, medical schools and other health spaces becoming unwelcoming for Jews.

“The Government’s plans are a step towards addressing these urgent issues that will make the NHS a safer place for Jews to work and receive care, however, these changes should be seen as a spring board for further changes and not a ‘fix-all’ with issues remaining on the classification of Jews as an ethnicity, the lack of repercussions of medical staff accused of antisemitism and health inequalities in the Jewish community.”

Claudia Mendoza, CEO of the Jewish Leadership Council (JLC), said:

“Antisemitism in the NHS has been out of control. We have seen doctors describe hospitals as cesspits of “Jewish supremacy” and praise Hamas as “legends”, with the regulators and tribunals not taking substantive action. It is vital that Jewish patients are able to trust that their healthcare providers will treat them without prejudice. This continued lack of action has severely undermined trust.

“The government’s announcements today including the introduction of mandatory antisemitism training and the adoption of the IHRA definition of antisemitism encouraged across the health service, are a welcome first step but must be the first of many. Most importantly, we must see swift action as a result of Lord Mann’s urgent review into how healthcare regulators tackle antisemitism.”

Daniel Carmel-Brown, CEO of Jewish Care, also welcomed the government’s new commitments.

“Adopting the IHRA definition, enhancing training, and strengthening oversight are important steps towards ensuring that Jewish patients, staff, and communities feel safe, respected, and valued”, he said.

“We look forward to working with government and partners to help build a health service and a society where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.”