Yvette Cooper, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom

In an outpatient waiting area somewhere in England, a patient tucks a Star of David pendant beneath their collar before the nurse calls their name. Nothing has happened yet. No one has said anything unkind. The decision is made quietly, as a precaution. If recent polling is a guide, many Jewish patients make a similar calculation, and it is one no patient should have to make before an appointment.

The watchdog GnasherJew, which monitors antisemitism in public life, has documented concerns involving roughly 40 medical professionals working in the NHS. Its report identifies online activity allegedly involving anti-Jewish rhetoric, conspiracy theories, Holocaust distortion and, in some instances, praise for violence against civilians. These remain allegations compiled by a monitoring group. The General Medical Council (GMC) has said antisemitism is completely unacceptable and that it will investigate serious concerns affecting patient safety or public confidence. Fewer than 20 per cent of those identified have reportedly faced regulatory action: two erasures from the register, one suspension and two formal warnings.

Proportion matters. The NHS employs well over a million people, and the overwhelming majority of clinicians treat patients professionally. Forty individuals represent a small fraction of that workforce. Nevertheless, the report raises important questions about professional conduct and the effectiveness of existing accountability mechanisms.

The consequences extend beyond workplace behaviour. A patient who hides their identity may also withhold medical information, symptoms or concerns about treatment. A diagnosis based on an incomplete account is built on weaker evidence. The Campaign Against Antisemitism has reported that one in three Jewish patients using NHS services since October 2023 felt uncomfortable because of their identity, while more than 40 per cent concealed it. Although advocacy polling carries sampling limitations, the 99 healthcare incidents recorded by the Antisemitism Policy Trust between October 2023 and July 2025 reinforce the need for attention. Patients who delay treatment or disengage from follow-up also add pressure to an already stretched health service.

The regulatory question is more complicated than the headlines suggest. The GMC must establish whether fitness to practise is impaired or public confidence is at risk, and disciplinary decisions must withstand legal scrutiny. Doctors retain the right to lawful political expression, making the distinction between private opinion and professional misconduct a case-by-case matter. However, campaigners are entitled to question whether existing procedures adequately address public online conduct that may undermine patient confidence. Greater transparency about how social media complaints are assessed and resolved would help answer that question.

Employers remain the first line of response to most workplace conduct concerns. NHS trust boards already manage financial pressures, industrial relations and urgent care demand, but discrimination requires proper governance attention. Following an independent review led by Lord John Mann, the government accepted recommendations on tackling antisemitism in the NHS on 4 June 2026. These included stronger employer accountability, improved reporting and investigation procedures, and anti-racism education. The NHS Staff Standards framework, published in July, subsequently reinforced expectations that employers take sustained action against racism.

The responsibility for turning these commitments into lasting improvements now rests with Health Secretary Yvette Cooper, who took office on 20 July 2026. Although she did not commission Lord Mann's review or announce its original recommendations, she inherited responsibility for overseeing their implementation through the Department of Health and Social Care. A parliamentary update on 27 October 2026 confirmed that the Secretary of State would hold a roundtable with UK health system leaders and professional regulators to discuss progress in tackling racism. This places Cooper's department at the centre of the next stage of NHS accountability and reform.

The October update also highlighted further regulatory developments. The Professional Standards Authority is developing guidance for healthcare regulators on equality and diversity, while fitness-to-practise leaders are expected to examine consistency in handling discrimination cases. A consultation on potential reforms to the GMC's regulatory framework is also planned, including consideration of decision-making and appeals processes. These developments are important because patients need confidence that complaints will be investigated fairly, consistently and transparently.

Training completion is easy to count; cultural change is harder to measure. The government is finalising NHS training covering equality, diversity and human rights, including antisemitism and anti-Muslim hostility. Further anti-racism training for senior NHS leaders is planned by March 2027. National guidance on uniforms and workwear is also being developed, with trusts expected to review existing policies. However, the real test will be whether these measures change everyday behaviour and improve patient experiences.

Trust boards should monitor how quickly complaints are handled, what outcomes follow and whether Jewish patients and staff report greater confidence. Lord Mann's recommendations also support stronger board-level oversight and annual reporting on discrimination complaints. A public consultation expected in early 2027 will consider improved equality monitoring, including proposals to record Jewish and Sikh identities as ethnicities in NHS data collection. Better information could help trusts identify problems earlier and assess whether reforms are working.

Patients must also know how to raise concerns without fearing consequences for their treatment. Clear complaints procedures and visible assurances that reporting discrimination will not affect care are essential to rebuilding confidence.

The standing the NHS enjoys with the public rests on its promise of equal care for all. The GnasherJew report identifies places where that promise has been strained, while the government's response creates an opportunity to address them. For Yvette Cooper, the challenge is to turn inherited commitments into measurable improvements in patient safety, professional accountability and workplace culture. The next progress report to Parliament, expected in June 2027, will provide an important measure of that effort. A patient who feels safe enough to say who they are gives their clinician better information, and the NHS has every reason to make that the ordinary experience.