Jewish NHS staff and patients 'feel the need to hide their identity' and 'suffer in silence'

Published: 23:04, 3 June 2026 | Updated: 23:14, 3 June 2026 Jewish NHS staff and patients have said they feel the need to hide their identity and 'suffer in silence'. The Department of Health and Social Care said a review into anti-Semitism found that some staff experience routine ostracism, with some even considering leaving the NHS. Lord Mann, who led the review, called on the NHS to be 'a responsible and inclusive employer'. The Government's independent adviser on anti-Semitism also made a series of recommendations, which are due to be laid before Parliament on Thursday.  The report is expected to say that some Jewish patients reported not wanting to present to the NHS for treatment, or putting off receiving important care, amid concerns around anti-Semitism.  In a separate review published in July 2025, Lord Mann and former Conservative minister Dame Penny Mordaunt warned of rising anti-Semitism across British society, including a 'specific issue' within the NHS. Lord Mann's latest report was commissioned by the Government in October. Sir Keir Starmer said a review was needed because 'clear cases' of anti-Semitism in the NHS were not being dealt with. The Government said reforms it makes in light of the review 'will benefit everyone who experiences hatred or abuse in the health service', not just victims of anti-Semitism.  The Department of Health said a new staff standard will be put in place, setting expectations for how organisations must prevent, respond to and learn from incidents of racism.  Jewish NHS staff and patients have said they feel the need to hide their identity and 'suffer in silence'. Pictured: A stock image of an NHS ward Meanwhile, mandatory anti-racism training, specifically including anti-Semitism, will be put in place for NHS bosses and trust chairmen within six months. Mandatory training on equality, diversity and human rights, which is already in place for NHS staff, will be updated to include 'quality assured content' on anti-Semitism and anti-Muslim hostility, the department added. Lord Mann said: '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.  The solutions are simple but require a consistency of approach across the whole of the NHS and clear leadership at the top. 'The NHS 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 can feel and see is for them.' Health Secretary James Murray said racism and discrimination 'betray everything the NHS stands for and its ability to provide safe, world-class care'. He added: 'Lord Mann has made a series of robust and practical recommendations which we are accepting. Together with NHS England, we will waste no time in setting these recommendations in motion to build a health service that lives up to its values.' The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.