Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called for an overhaul of the medical regulatory system, accusing it of failing to protect Jewish patients and NHS staff from antisemitism. In a statement, Streeting said antisemitism has 'absolutely no place in our NHS' and criticised the General Medical Council (GMC) and Medical Practitioners Tribunal Service (MPTS) for inadequate action against doctors making racist comments.
Streeting highlighted cases where regulators failed to impose sufficient sanctions. Dr Rahmeh Aladwan, a trainee surgeon, was investigated for social media posts including a claim that a London hospital was a 'Jewish supremacy cesspit'. Dr Kamran Ahmed, a GP, received only a formal warning in February for posting 'objectively antisemitic' material on X between November 2023 and March 2024.
In a more severe case, NHS surgeon Manoj Sen was struck off the medical register last month for antisemitic comments, including referring to a Jewish man as 'circumcised vermin'. The MPTS ruled his comments were motivated by hostility towards Jews. According to the Jewish News, 454 antisemitism complaints were submitted to the GMC since October 7 2023, with 84% closed at the triage stage, though the GMC says this is in line with general complaint closure rates.
A GMC spokesperson said: 'Antisemitism has no place in healthcare. We make clear what we expect from doctors through our guidance to them and our fitness to practise processes reinforce these expectations.' Streeting, however, remains unconvinced and is 'looking urgently at how we can overhaul the current regime'.
