We welcome today’s announcement by the government to tackle racism in the NHS. This is an important and overdue recognition that racism and discrimination continue to harm staff, patients, and public trust in our health system.

However, to be credible, this initiative must go beyond selective concern. It must confront all forms of hatred with equal determination including anti-Muslim, anti-Black, anti-Palestinian, and anti-Jewish racism. These manifestations of prejudice are deeply interconnected and cannot be ranked or instrumentalised for political ends.

Islamophobia and antisemitism must both be robustly defined and addressed, but not weaponised to suppress lawful expression or humanitarian advocacy. Free speech, compassion, and equality are not mutually exclusive. The definitions and frameworks used must protect people, not silence legitimate voices or shield states from accountability. Of concern, as expressed by many legal scholars, is the confusion within the IHRA definition that incorrectly links advocacy for Palestine and criticism of Israel as forms of anti-Jewish hatred.

We also draw attention to the selective expression of solidarity within the NHS. If displays of support for Palestine, especially in the midst of genocide and a humanitarian catastrophe, are to be limited on uniforms or public platforms, then the same standards must apply consistently, including expressions of support for Ukraine, Pride/LGBTQ+ campaigns, and disability or liberation awareness movements. To do otherwise is to create a hierarchy of empathy that erodes the very values of inclusion the NHS stands for.

We particularly emphasise the need to protect Black colleagues, who have endured decades of racism and structural inequity within healthcare. Despite longstanding reports and high-profile cases, such as that of Michelle Cox, a very senior Black nurse who experienced racism at the highest levels of NHS England, progress has been painfully slow. Only now do we see urgency from government, and this must not come at the cost of other communities’ safety.

We will be writing to Lord Mann and expect to play an active role in this review to ensure that Muslim, Black, and pro-Palestinian health workers are meaningfully included. Parity, transparency, and integrity must underpin all efforts to tackle racism in the NHS.

BIMA stands ready to support work that genuinely protects all staff and patients. Not selectively, but universally. Only then can the NHS truly embody its founding principles of fairness, equality, and care for all.