UK to bar NHS workers from wearing political badges, in effort to fight antisemitism

Britain’s National Health Service will ban staff from wearing political badges, under new rules aimed at fighting antisemitism within the health system.

Health Secretary James Murray says the NHS will accept the recommendation of an independent review by Lord John Mann of antisemitism and other forms of racism within the health system.

The review found that some Jewish patients and NHS staff feel the need to hide their religious identity due to fear of harassment. It also recommended stronger accountability for NHS managers and improved recording and monitoring of racist incidents.

Murray tells journalists that allowing staff members to display political symbols in medical settings risks undermining trust and deterring some patients from seeking care. The guidance will be published “shortly,” he says.

“When you have a situation where political views can be brought into the NHS, that can cause Jewish patients to think twice about whether to go to the NHS for their treatment,” he tells local media.