- Lord Mann has recommended a ban on political badges worn by NHS staff at work.
- The review found some Jewish patients were reluctant to use NHS services due to concerns about their treatment.
- The government has accepted recommendations for new national guidance on NHS uniforms.
NHS staff should not wear political badges while at work, according to the government's independent adviser on antisemitism, who has warned that some Jewish staff and patients feel increasingly uncomfortable within parts of the health service.
The recommendation forms part of a wider NHS antisemitism review commissioned by the government last year. The report, due to be presented to Parliament, examines allegations of discrimination within the NHS and proposes new measures aimed at improving confidence among both staff and patients.
Lord Mann, who led the review, said he found examples of Jewish employees feeling isolated in their workplaces and Jewish patients delaying or avoiding treatment because of concerns about how they might be treated.
Drawing a line between politics and patient care
Among the most prominent recommendations is a call for NHS staff to avoid displaying political symbols while carrying out their duties.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mann said political messaging should not form part of the workplace environment for healthcare professionals. He used the example of a dentist wearing either a pro-Palestinian or pro-Israel badge while treating patients, arguing that healthcare settings should remain politically neutral.
The review leaves it to NHS leaders to determine exactly what constitutes a political symbol, but Mann said clearer national guidance is needed.
He also recommended that NHS employees avoid wearing official uniforms while attending political demonstrations. While acknowledging that staff have a right to express political views in their personal lives, he argued there should be a clear distinction between individual activism and representing the NHS.
The Department of Health and Social Care said it had accepted the recommendation for a national policy on uniforms and would publish guidance at a later date.
Concerns beyond the workplace
The review was commissioned in October after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said "clear cases" of antisemitism within the NHS were not being properly addressed.
Mann described some of the evidence gathered during the review as deeply troubling. One incident involved a Jewish employee reportedly arriving at work to find their locker covered in bacon fat. He also pointed to what he described as a growing trend of some Jewish patients choosing not to access NHS services because of concerns about their experiences.
According to the review, this included some Jewish women opting not to give birth in NHS hospitals.
The government said the proposed reforms are intended to benefit everyone who experiences discrimination or abuse within the health service, not only Jewish staff and patients.
Alongside the recommendations on political symbols, ministers have committed to introducing a new staff standard that will set minimum expectations for preventing and responding to racism. Mandatory anti-racism training for NHS trust chairs and chief executives is expected within six months, while existing equality, diversity and human rights training for the NHS's 1.5 million workforce will be updated to include specific content on antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred.
The government also plans to introduce a single national framework outlining employers' responsibilities for tackling discrimination and identifying incidents that may need to be referred to regulators.
NHS Employers said the review demonstrates that antisemitism and other forms of racism are increasing within the NHS and wider society and require urgent action, while NHS Confederation members are expected to work on implementing the recommendations across their organisations.
Bhadresh Gohil Eastern Eye 
