One and a half million pounds in Lottery funding has been awarded to the Board of Deputies and the London Jewish Forum in a bid to address antisemitism and inequalities which impact the Jewish community in the health sector.
The award, from the National Lottery Community Fund (NCLF), will provide five years of vital funding for the Jewish Health Equity Partnership (JHEP), one of nine partners in NLCF’s new Health Inequities Partnership tackling discriminatory health inequalities.
It comes after the Lord Mann Review of antisemitism in the health sector and, more recently, a damning independent maternity review by Baroness Amos, which found that some Jewish women, among other minority groups, felt the need to hide their identities to avoid discrimination in the NHS.
The findings by Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, revealed that Jewish NHS staff were the only religious group to see rising discrimination from colleagues, and some Jewish patients were intentionally avoiding the NHS.
The JC reported in 2024 that a Jewish child in Manchester was forced from a bed during a blood transfusion by nurses wearing pro-Palestine insignia.
The NCLF’s grant marks the most significant investment yet in tackling health inequities impacting British-Jewish communities.
Karen Newman, vice president of the Board of Deputies, the UK’s leading Jewish representative body, said: “We are hugely grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for their support. This five-year commitment will be transformative to our work, helping us tackle antisemitism, structural discrimination and other issues impacting healthcare outcomes for the Jewish community.
“We are also excited to work with other members of the Health Inequalities Partnership to contribute to better health outcomes for all ethnic and faith minority groups.”
Co‑chair of the London Jewish Forum Amanda Bowman said: “No one should experience prejudice when accessing healthcare or working within the health system, and this partnership will turn greater understanding of Jewish health needs into practical action that improves people’s experiences of care.”
The JHEP will work with NHS bodies, local authorities, and researchers to improve understanding of Jewish health needs, train health professionals and ensure Jewish patients and Jewish NHS staff receive equitable treatment.
Building on the London Jewish Forum’s London Jewish Health Partnership, the project will expand over its first few years to apply to all Jewish communities in partnership with existing bodies.
Sarah Baker, England deputy director of policy, partnerships and performance at NCLF said: “We recently announced The Board of Deputies of British Jews, and eight other lead organisations in our £50 million Health Inequities Partnership, to work across communities and the health system to address structural racism and discrimination in England.
“This truly life-changing work is bringing together organisations with different strengths, perspectives and lived experiences. We know that health inequalities are deeply embedded across systems and tackling them requires collective action across communities, civil society, public services, funders, policymakers and institutions.
"Our strategy, It Starts with Community, commits us to supporting communities to live happier and healthier lives and put community agency, power and control at the heart of our funding. Partnership is at the heart of this work, and organisations like The Board of Deputies of British Jews are key – to understand where barriers remain, where opportunities exist and how future investment can have the greatest impact. We all have a role to play and this funding marks an important step towards change, to create healthier and fairer futures for all."
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