New Documentary Exposes Alleged Antisemitism Crisis Within Britain's NHS
A new documentary by the Campaign Against Antisemitism exposes alleged antisemitic abuse and systemic failures within Britain's NHS, detailing harrowing accounts from Jewish patients and staff.
The British newspaper The Telegraph has published a series of harrowing accounts detailing alleged antisemitic abuse and harassment faced by Jewish patients and staff within Britain's National Health Service (NHS). These findings form part of a new documentary titled Malignant: Anti-Semitism in the NHS, produced by the Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA). The organization asserts that the investigation exposes a deep-seated antisemitic rot at the heart of the British healthcare system, highlighting systemic failures in addressing rising hostility.
Testimony of Workplace Harassment
Among the participants in the documentary is Shelley Lipman, a registered nurse at a hospital in Cambridge. Lipman recounted an incident where a healthcare assistant noticed a tattoo on her arm containing the Hebrew word for "love" and asked about its meaning. After explaining that the word was in Hebrew and that she is Jewish, Lipman returned from her lunch break only to find another nurse performing a Nazi salute while standing next to a patient's bed.
"I just felt like my jaw hit the floor for what felt like an hour," Lipman said, describing herself as completely appalled. When she confronted her colleague and stated, "That is the Nazi salute. That is Hitler," the nurse simply replied, "Correct." Lipman expressed deep distress over the fact that the employee remains employed at the hospital, adding, "She is still there. I hate it. I really hate it."
Government Recommendations and Medical Association Pushback
In June, British government ministers received recommendations from Lord Mann, the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, following growing concerns over hostility toward Jewish patients and staff within the NHS. The proposed measures included mandatory antisemitism training and restrictions on political symbols that could create a perception of bias among patients.
However, the British Medical Association (BMA) strongly opposed the recommendations, calling for an "immediate pause" on their implementation and warning of potential negative consequences for freedom of speech. A survey commissioned by the CAA revealed that nearly two-thirds of British Jews fear discrimination due to their identity. Furthermore, more than four in ten respondents who used NHS services since the October 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war in the Gaza Strip admitted to concealing their Jewish identity, such as hiding religious symbols or avoiding mentions of their background.
Allegations of Abuse During Surgery
Another case highlighted in the documentary involves Shaul Freeman, a Jewish resident of Sheffield, who expressed fears for his life after a surgeon allegedly made antisemitic remarks while removing a cancerous tumor from his forehead. Freeman stated that the interaction was initially entirely routine until the conversation turned to the war in Gaza.
Freeman alleged that the consultant claimed Jews shoot children "in the head or the legs" and alter their firing methods "for their own amusement every day." The patient further claimed the surgeon remarked that Jews "ought to know better" given their history in Europe, adding that "Jews only do this for fun." At the time of the remarks, Freeman noted, the surgeon was holding a scalpel and actively operating on his head.
"He has a knife. He is in active surgery. You are in the most vulnerable position imaginable," Freeman said regarding the dynamic between doctor and patient. Freeman filed a formal complaint with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, but reported being told that the trust could not provide details regarding staff investigations, disciplinary decisions, or the outcomes of internal proceedings.
The Case of Dr. Wahid Assaad Shayda
The documentary also examines the case of a Jewish patient who discovered he was treated by a general practitioner who previously led a group later banned and designated as a terrorist organization. Dr. Wahid Assaad Shayda served as the head of the British branch of Hizb ut-Tahrir under the name Abdul Wahid. The British government outlawed the Islamist group in January 2024, designating it as antisemitic and accusing it of actively encouraging and promoting terrorism.
Although Dr. Shayda was suspended from his NHS duties following the proscription, NHS England lifted his suspension six months later. A medical tribunal concluded there was insufficient evidence to remove Dr. Shayda from the medical register or to prove he remained actively involved with Hizb ut-Tahrir after the organization was banned.
He was permitted to resume his clinical work within the NHS subject to conditions intended to protect staff and patients. His legal representatives emphasized that he has worked in the NHS for 33 years without professional misconduct concerns, and his name remains on the official medical register.
Calls for Reform and Greater Transparency
Stephen Silverman, director of investigations and enforcement at the Campaign Against Antisemitism, sharply criticized the current state of affairs. "Our documentary exposes the antisemitic rot at the heart of the NHS," he stated.
Silverman emphasized that the healthcare system cares for individuals during their most vulnerable moments, prompting him to call for decisive action against what he termed a growing culture of extremism within medical institutions, regulatory failures, and a shocking lack of transparency.
