BIMA has identified seven key priorities which we urge our communities to discuss with prospective parliamentary
candidates and seek their support on. The NHS remains hugely topical, and these priorities address critical issues that
particularly impact Muslim communities. These are to be taken alongside priority areas that mainstream groups have
identified such as hospital waiting times, access to GPs, closing of community pharmacies, social care reforms etc.

1. An Immediate Ceasefire and Medical Aid to Gaza: Patient confidence and staff psychological safety are
   contingent on how systems reflect their realities. We continue to call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the
   provision of essential medical assistance, and the expatriation of Palestinians to the UK for complex care and
   rehabilitation.
2. Address Health Inequity: Health inequalities disproportionately impact Muslim patients reflecting broader
   social determinants of health and systemic discrimination. Being sicker also makes us less economically
   productive. We urge particular focus on maternal health, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, cancer, and
   mental health. Addressing these will also benefit other marginalised communities and will help create a just
   and equitable health service for all.
3. Eradicate Islamophobia: The NHS and care sectors have a significant Muslim workforce and face
   challenges in recruitment, retention, and workplace discrimination, often reflecting Islamophobia. The
   intersectionality of gender, ethnicity, and religion amplifies experiences of discrimination, negatively impacting
   work environments. Workplace discrimination is a critical patient safety issue and must be addressed by
   raising awareness of and taking action against Islamophobia affecting both staff and patients.
4. Oppose Assisted Suicide and Improve End of Life Services: Current end-of-life care already has
   significant inequities for Muslim families and patients. Introducing physician-assisted suicide will exacerbate
   mistrust in the health service, widen existing health inequalities, and disproportionately affect marginalised
   communities.
5. Faith Inclusive Services: Commit to address inequalities through the lens of innovation of faith-based
   approaches. Community chaplaincy, provision of religious dietary needs, prayer spaces, Ramadan medicines
   optimisation, and faith-based counselling are just some examples where the NHS and care sector can tackle
   health disparities by innovation through inclusion.
6. Inclusive Medicines: Some Muslim patients are reluctant to take certain medications due to a lack of
   non-halal alternatives which are commercially available, cost-effective, and clinically equivalent. With
   widening inequalities and a growing demand for non-animal derived medicines, NHS medicines procurement
   bodies should seek to accommodate these needs urgently.
7. Data Driven Improvements: Data focused on faith will help identify inequalities and drive improvements for
   patients and staff. We ask for a commitment to collecting and using faith-related data, including through
   patient health records as well as the recording of faith on death certificates. For staff, there should be data
   collected and reported by employers and key stakeholders in regulatory processes

Your involvement and advocacy can make a difference to your communities. Engage with your candidates, ask them
where they stand on these priorities to make informed decisions when it comes to health. Let’s make our voices heard
this election as we work towards a fairer and more equitable healthcare system for all. If you haven’t yet registered to
vote, you can do so quickly and easily at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

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