UK government has accepted a series of recommendations aimed at tackling antisemitism and other forms of racism within the National Health Service (NHS), following an independent review that found Jewish staff and patients continue to face discrimination, exclusion and barriers to care across parts of the health system.

The reforms come in response to a review led by Lord John Mann, commissioned in October 2025 to examine how the NHS and healthcare regulators identify, report, and respond to antisemitism and wider racial discrimination.

According to Lord Mann, the reforms are essential to preserving public confidence in the NHS’s universality and ensuring that all communities feel equally protected and represented.

“Jewish people have to be confident that they will receive the same treatment as everyone else, at all times in all situations. If people feel, as they do, that some have to hide their identity as patients or suffer in silence as staff, then the universality of the NHs is fundamentally breached.”
Lord Mann

He added that, “the solutions are simple but require a consistency of approach across the whole of the NHS and clear leadership at the top and across all NHS trusts.”

“The NHS as an employer must act as a responsible and inclusive employer and take the responsibility of making its employment and service to patients one that the entirety of the country, including our Jewish community, can feel and see is one that is for them as well as everybody else.”
Lord Mann

The review was launched amid growing concern over incidents affecting Jewish healthcare workers and patients, as well as broader concerns about racism within the NHS workforce.

Its findings paint a troubling picture of discrimination that has left some staff considering leaving the profession and some patients reluctant to seek medical treatment.

According to the review, Jewish employees reported experiencing “routine ostracism” within parts of the health service. Data from the latest NHS Staff Survey showed Jewish staff were the only religious group for whom discrimination from colleagues was increasing rather than declining.

The review also found that antisemitism affected patient experiences, with some Jewish patients reporting that they had delayed or avoided seeking medical care because of concerns about how they would be treated.

The government stated that racism in any form is incompatible with the NHS’s founding principles and, as such, healthcare employers must take greater responsibility for protecting both patients and staff.

The reforms are intended to benefit all groups affected by discrimination. Official figures show that 16 per cent of Muslim staff and 20 per cent of Black and minority ethnic NHS employees reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace over the past year.

Among the measures accepted by the government are mandatory antisemitism and anti-racism training for senior NHS leaders, updated equality and diversity training for the wider workforce, and new national guidance governing uniforms and responses to racist behaviour.

A new NHS Staff Standard focused specifically on tackling racism will also be introduced to strengthen accountability across NHS trusts. The standard will establish minimum expectations for preventing, responding to and learning from incidents involving racism and discrimination.

Health Secretary James Murray noted that the review’s recommendations would be implemented without delay.

“The NHS was built on the principle that everyone should be treated equally and with respect. Racism and discrimination betray everything the NHS stands for and its ability to provide safe, world-class care.”
James Murray

He added, “Lord John Mann has made a series of robust and practical recommendations which we are accepting.”

James Murray indicated that Jewish communities and others facing discrimination expect tangible action rather than promises, adding that the government and NHS England would move quickly to implement the recommendations and strengthen efforts to ensure the health service reflects its core values of equality, respect and inclusion.

“Tackling antisemitism cannot happen in isolation, and it is part of how this government is tackling racism in all forms in the NHS. The recommendations from this review will benefit all those who experience such discrimination or abuse.”
James Murray

New NHS Rules Aim to Strengthen Response to Racism and Discrimination

Under the government’s plan, NHS England will adopt the seven anti-racism principles developed by the NHS Race and Health Observatory and encourage healthcare organisations across the country to follow them.

Also, mandatory anti-racism training, including specific content on antisemitism, will be delivered to all NHS trust chairs and chief executives within six months.

Equality, Diversity and Human Rights training, which is currently completed by around 1.5 million NHS staff, will also be updated to include quality-assured material on antisemitism and anti-Muslim hostility.

The government also intends to create a single national framework defining employers’ responsibilities when responding to discrimination complaints, including guidance on when incidents should be referred to professional regulators.