The NHS is set to restrict political symbols on staff uniforms and provide antisemitism training to trust leaders following a government-ordered review that found Jewish patients and staff face 'routine ostracism' in the health service.
Lord Mann, the government's adviser on antisemitism, will publish his 60-page report on Thursday, revealing that some Jewish patients have avoided seeking treatment or delayed important care due to fear of discrimination. The review highlights 'shocking examples of intimidation and abuse' and warns that antisemitism threatens the NHS's universality.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting commissioned the review last year after reports of antisemitic comments by doctors. Two doctors, Manoj Sen and Mohammed Asif Munaf, have been struck off the medical register, while another, Rahmeh Aladwan, faces trial for allegedly supporting Hamas. The General Medical Council received 779 complaints of antisemitism between October 2023 and December 2025, investigating 86 cases.
The NHS will now implement changes as an 'urgent priority,' targeting all forms of racism and discrimination. Trust chairs and chief executives must undergo mandatory anti-racism training, including antisemitism, within six months. Jewish staff are the only religious group reporting growing discrimination by colleagues, with some considering leaving the service.
Lord Mann stated: 'If people feel they have to hide their identity as patients or suffer in silence as staff, then the universality of the NHS is fundamentally breached.' Rebecca Gray of the NHS Alliance noted that antisemitism has worsened since the review was commissioned, citing an arson attack on a Hatzola ambulance station in April.
