Concerns have been raised over reports of anti-Semitism and pro-Palestinian activism within the National Health Service (NHS), prompting fears among Jewish staff and patients. The issue has drawn attention following several incidents involving healthcare professionals who have expressed controversial and, in some cases, anti-Semitic views on social media and in public forums.
One prominent case involves Abdul Qader Ismail, an Oxford-educated paediatrician working in the East Midlands, who has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories about Israelis harvesting Palestinian organs, describing Hamas’s attacks on October 7 as legal armed resistance, and defending the practice of stoning. Ismail also designed a “Palestine poppy,” which has been criticised by some veterans for distorting the symbol of remembrance. The poppy is sold online, with profits reportedly supporting charities working to end the occupation in Gaza. The website selling the poppy also features a video containing the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” a phrase interpreted by some as a call for the elimination of Israel.
Several NHS staff have reportedly faced accusations of anti-Semitism. Jewish medics have reported being called “baby-killers” and subjected to Nazi salutes by colleagues. Jewish patients have described anxiety and fear due to hostile encounters, including one cancer patient who recounted being berated about Israeli actions mid-operation while wearing a Star of David necklace. The hospital where the incident occurred has launched an investigation.
Campaigners and some NHS workers claim these incidents are part of a broader pattern of “hate in healthcare.” A campaign group has documented approximately 40 doctors within the NHS publicly espousing anti-Semitic views. Examples include an NHS trauma surgeon who posted images depicting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Nazi concentration camp oven, and an NHS paediatrician suspended for describing Hamas fighters as "oppressed resistance fighters" rather than terrorists. Another NHS consultant has circulated conspiracy theories implicating Mossad in the assassinations of John F. Kennedy and the 9/11 attacks, as well as unfounded claims about Jewish orchestration of political scandals.
Criticism has been directed at the General Medical Council (GMC), the regulator for medical professionals in the UK, which some say has been slow to act on complaints of anti-Semitism. A recording from a British Islamic Medical Association meeting in June 2025 reportedly featured a GMC adviser stating that the regulator received more anti-Semitism complaints than Islamophobia ones but was more likely to close the former without action. The GMC has also declined to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, a move campaigners argue hampers efforts to tackle Jewish racism in healthcare.
A Jewish NHS surgeon, who wished to remain anonymous, asserted that the GMC prioritises tackling Islamophobia and is less responsive to anti-Semitism complaints. According to this surgeon, this has created an environment where doctors espousing extremist views about Jews can do so with relative impunity. The regulator stated that it takes complaints seriously and that nearly 20% of doctors facing anti-Semitism allegations have received regulatory action, including erasure from the medical register and suspensions.
The Department of Health and Social Care commissioned an independent review led by Lord Mann, who found evidence of routine ostracism of Jewish staff within the NHS and urged for mandatory anti-Semitism training and restrictions on political symbols perceived as biased. However, the British Medical Association opposed implementing the recommendations immediately, citing concerns about freedom of expression.
The NHS and its regulators face mounting pressure to address allegations of anti-Semitism within the service. While some doctors have been sanctioned, campaigners maintain that much more needs to be done to create a safe and respectful environment for all patients and healthcare workers. The case of Dr. Ismail remains under scrutiny, though at present he remains on the medical register without restrictions.