A review published on Thursday (4 June) by the UK government’s independent advisor on antisemitism contains a list of recommendations to NHS trusts, including banning NHS staff from displaying pro-Palestine solidarity badges on their uniforms.
The report, commissioned last year by then-Health Secretary Wes Streeting, also recommends mandatory antisemitism training across England’s 205 NHS trusts — in an effort to ‘tackle antisemitism’.
The head of health at public sector union UNISON said, ‘There are complex legal issues here including staff rights under the Equality Act and human rights legislation.’ She added: ‘There's a real risk precious time and resources will be spent trying to define a political badge.’
NHS healthcare workers have described this as ‘institutionally racist’ and as a further crackdown on free speech in healthcare settings.
Since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, more than 1,700 healthcare workers have been killed by Israel, and every hospital in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed.
