1 min read
The National Health Service (NHS) is rightly regarded as one of Britain’s proudest institutions. It is founded on principles of care and compassion. Yet in recent months, disturbing reports have emerged of rising antisemitism within its workforce and professional bodies, including the British Medical Association (BMA).
The BMA exists to advocate for the health and wellbeing of both patients and professionals, to protect working conditions and to uphold the highest standards of care. It does not exist to take sides in geopolitical conflicts or to offer commentary on international disputes. When the focus of a medical organisation drifts from medicine to politics, it risks alienating members, fracturing unity and undermining its own credibility.
It is deeply disturbing that some Jewish doctors and patients now feel unsafe within the very organisation meant to represent and protect them. Many have spoken of feeling marginalised or silenced in discussions that have veered into hostility. These individuals have served our health system and our communities with dedication and compassion for generations. To see them excluded or intimidated is an affront to the NHS’s founding principles.
Antisemitism has no place in the NHS or in any corner of British public life. Every healthcare professional, regardless of faith or background, deserves to work in an environment free from hate, fear or discrimination. The moment any group of professionals begins to feel unsafe, the entire fabric of trust within our health system begins to fray.
At a time when the NHS faces enormous pressure from Labour’s kowtowing to the unions and the upcoming strikes, the last thing it can afford is division from within. The BMA and NHS leadership must take this issue seriously by condemning antisemitism unequivocally, by ensuring complaints are investigated swiftly and transparently and by reaffirming their commitment to inclusion and respect.
Antisemitism, like any form of hate, rarely exists in isolation. It corrodes professional relationships, damages morale and undermines patient care. When prejudice seeps into the corridors of healthcare, it is patients and staff who ultimately suffer.
The NHS should be a model for the society it serves. It should be a place where colleagues stand together against bigotry in all its forms.
The NHS cannot hope to care for a nation if it cannot first care for its own. We acknowledge the government is doing a rapid review to tackle antisemitism, which is welcome, but Wes Streeting and this Labour Government must go further to combat the rise of antisemitism within the NHS and put in processes where there is robust action to combat these issues.
Stuart Andrew is the shadow health secretary and Conservative MP for Daventry.
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