Health Secretary Wes Streeting has called on regulators to strike off extremist views on the Gaza war into the workplace as he seeks to root our anti-Semitism in the NHS.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Streeting said that he would enforce a “zero tolerance approach” to “anyone who uses the conflict in the Middle East as a pretext to attack communities” in the health service.
Mr Streeting will urge regulators to take disciplinary action against doctors and nurse who express “racist or extremist views” which could lead to them being struck off the medical register.
He said: “I expect regulators to investigate any concerns suggesting patient safety is at risk due to discrimination or misconduct by a healthcare professional. Any worker espousing racist or extremist views should know they could end up in front of a disciplinary panel.”
Several NHS workers have been reported for antisemitic incidents, from workplace attacks to online celebration of the October 7 massacre carried out in Israel by Hamas terrorists.
Mr Streeting said: “Regulators have powers to set conditions that a healthcare professional must work under, suspend them, or strike them entirely from the medical register.
“Patients and members of the public are also able to raise concerns about a professional directly with a regulator, and regulators have a statutory duty to investigate those complaints.
“Any patient racially or violently abusing NHS staff, who are simply trying to do their jobs and care for us, can and should be turned away. We will ensure everyone working in or using the health service feels safe and respected and stamp out this wickedness.”
Earlier this year, the Home Office minister Jess Phillips, said that she believed she had received “quicker” treatment on the NHS because she had voted for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Ms Phillips claimed that, when she was triaged at an Accident and Emergency unit in Birmingham, a Palestinian doctor expedited her case because of how she had voted on the conflict.
She was one of eight shadow frontbenchers who resigned from Labour’s top team in opposition over Gaza.
Earlier this year, a family GP and former leader of the UK branch of the Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir until it was proscribed, was suspended for calling the October 7 terrorist attacks a “welcome punch on the nose”. He was later re-instated after the NHS said there was a lack of evidence to suggest that he was unfit to practise.
Last month, the NHS apologised after a Jewish patient said she was intimidated by a health worker who treated her wearing a “Free Palestine” t-shirt. In response, the NHS said that it was “about to commence a review of our uniform and dress code policy.”
Amanda Pritchard, the chief executive of NHS England, said: “I wholeheartedly support the Secretary of State’s comments – it is completely unacceptable for anyone to experience racism, discrimination or prejudice in the health service, and the NHS takes any report of antisemitism extremely seriously.
“The NHS provides care and treatment for everyone regardless of race, faith, or background, while staff should be able to speak out about any concerns in the knowledge they will be listened to – and all trusts and NHS healthcare providers should have robust policies in place to deal with any incidents appropriately.”
