‘Zionism is poison’ posters at London hospital left patient ‘vulnerable and scared’

“I’m an outpatient," the patient, who did not wish to disclose her identity told the group, "but God forbid [those] in other circumstances to feel so vulnerable already and be surrounded by hostility. [It would be] so scary. I shouldn’t have to remove my Star of David necklace to go to a hospital visit."

UCLH promptly took the posters down when alerted to them. Staff were also reminded not to display to political messages in the hospital.

UKLFI director Caroline Turner praised the hospital’s “prompt” response, saying: “UCLH is a major London hospital frequented by people from all of London’s diverse communities, but it’s particularly close to major north London Jewish communities.

"Irrespective of their background, any person must feel comfortable and safe in a hospital setting.

She added: "We welcome UCLH’s prompt, proactive and constructive engagement with this issue. UCLH’s actions will help preserve dignity, equality, neutrality and respect within NHS spaces, particularly for Jewish patients seeking medical care”.

David Probert, the CEO of the trust said: “Firstly, I would like to apologise on behalf of UCLH for the distress and upset caused by these posters. At UCLH, we value diversity and inclusivity, and we are committed to providing a fair and non-discriminatory service to all individuals, regardless of background.

After he was alerted to the posters by UKLFI he “promptly made internal inquiries and was informed that [they] were initially noticed last week… and all the posters were removed without delay.”

Probert added: “Senior members of staff conducted a walk-around to ensure no further posters remained.

"Additionally, the department’s newsletter addressed the incident, reminding staff of the trust’s policy against displaying political messages and encouraging vigilance in identifying and removing any similar materials.

"Security personnel have also been instructed to remain alert.”