13th September 2026
BIMA recently joined a government roundtable on Muslim health and the healthcare workforce at 10 Downing Street, chaired by Baroness Merron and involving No10, DHSC and MHCLG.
It was a welcome and long overdue opportunity to speak directly with government.
For members, we want to be clear about what we said, what we did not have time to say, and what we now expect to happen.
We told the government that Muslim healthcare professionals continue to face Islamophobia, unequal treatment and concerns around safety, representation and freedom of expression, and that these issues need to be recognised and addressed explicitly rather than absorbed into generic race or health inequalities policy. We called for parity of seriousness in responding to Islamophobia, more representative and accountable engagement with Muslim civil society, and clear ministerial and NHS accountability. We also stressed that Muslim organisations bring practical expertise and solutions, and that this engagement must now lead to action rather than another talking shop.
The evidence cannot be replaced by success stories
British Muslims make an extraordinary contribution to the NHS. Those stories of excellence and leadership deserve recognition. That is why we celebrate these achievements at the British Muslim Health Awards.
But they cannot substitute for the evidence.
Our post-riots survey found that around two-thirds of Muslim healthcare professionals had previously encountered Islamophobia at work; 63% felt unsafe travelling to work during the 2024 disorder and 44% had considered leaving the NHS.[1]
Our larger study of 651 Muslim healthcare professionals and students found widespread concerns about Islamophobia, wellbeing and freedom of expression, including 93% reporting that they felt censored or restricted in expressing views relating to Gaza. This work has since been published in Medicine, Conflict and Survival.[2]
These data are supported by NHS staff surveys and are longstanding. We have therefore moved beyond asking whether a problem exists.
The point we made in the room was that representation is not the same as mandate. Muslim ministers, executives and senior NHS leaders are welcome and important. Their individual success does not itself provide the institutional mandate, resources or accountability needed to address systemic problems.
We asked for parity of seriousness
We spoke frankly about the contrast many Muslim healthcare professionals perceive in institutional responses to different forms of discrimination.
Strong action against antisemitism is right and necessary.
Our argument is for parity of seriousness: the same readiness to recognise harm, demonstrate empathy, name the problem, establish accountability and act when Muslims face Islamophobia.
This has been a consistent theme of our advocacy. In 2025 we met the Health Secretary and raised Islamophobia, career inequalities, censorship, vexatious complaints and barriers affecting Muslim healthcare professionals.[3] We followed this with detailed written representations to DHSC, NHS England and Lord Mann.[4] We subsequently wrote to the NHS Race and Health Observatory and the BMA seeking meaningful and Muslim-specific action on Islamophobia.[5]
We do not need to rehearse all of those arguments again. They remain publicly available through BIMA’s wider advocacy work.[6]
Muslim issues must be capable of being addressed as Muslim issues
Muslim experience repeatedly falls between policy silos.
Race policy often sees Muslims through ethnicity. Health inequalities work often centres deprivation and ethnicity. Faith policy frequently sits outside mainstream healthcare. NHS workforce work does not consistently interrogate religion.
These lenses matter, but none fully describes Muslim experience.
Islamophobia, religious visibility, prayer, fasting, dress, end-of-life care, mental health, maternity care and faith-informed access to services can all require a specifically Muslim lens.
We have therefore previously argued for Islamophobia to be recognised explicitly within the NHS rather than disappearing within generic categories.[7]
Sometimes Muslim issues need to be addressed as Muslim issues.
Engagement cannot be selective
This was another strong message at the meeting.
The government cannot credibly engage Muslim communities only through voices it finds convenient, reassuring or politically agreeable.
No community has perfect structures. Every representative institution has its flaws. But British Muslims have membership organisations, professional associations, mosques, charities, researchers and civic institutions accountable to constituencies much larger than one individual.
Individual Muslim voices should absolutely be heard. But there is an important distinction between someone offering their experience as a Muslim and someone being treated as though they represent Muslim experience.
A personal opinion requires no wider mandate. Representation brings accountability.
Where individuals are repeatedly invited to speak for Muslims, there should be some mechanism through which the community concerned can scrutinise, challenge and assess that representation.
The answer is not a single Muslim gatekeeper. It is a plural ecosystem of representative institutions, professional organisations, researchers, community leaders and independent voices, including people willing to disagree with government.
Disagreement with ministers should not disqualify legitimate Muslim organisations from the room. It would rightly be regarded as extraordinary if the government claimed meaningful engagement with British Jewish communities while systematically bypassing longstanding representative institutions. We believe Muslim civil society should be treated with comparable seriousness.
We have been here before
Part of our caution comes from experience.
BIMA has previously secured meetings, written directly to ministers and been promised further engagement, only for correspondence or follow-up subsequently to stall. We highlighted this publicly following an Islamophobic incident at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, when previous representations to DHSC concerning Islamophobia and staff safety remained unanswered.[8]
We do not expect the government to agree with BIMA on everything.
We do expect, like other citizens and civic institutions, a right of audience: to put evidence before decision-makers, disagree where necessary, receive a response and participate in discussions about policies affecting the communities we serve.
That is why we appreciated this roundtable.
It is also why what happens next matters more than the meeting itself.
Our concerns about the Mann Review continue
Our concerns regarding aspects of the Mann Review are already documented and do not need repeating in full here.
When BIMA met DHSC and Lord Mann in June 2026, we made clear that our participation did not constitute endorsement of the Review.[9]
We have raised concerns around regulatory fairness, due process, lawful political expression, the use of the IHRA definition within disciplinary settings and the risk of creating or reinforcing a hierarchy of protection.
We continue these representations alongside a wider alliance of healthcare professionals and organisations concerned about the implementation of the Review.[10]
Our peer-reviewed work on the experiences of Muslim healthcare professionals, and more recent work concerning political pressure and healthcare professionals, provides further context for those concerns.[2,11]
What we are asking government to do now
Our follow-up is deliberately simple.
First, name an accountable minister. Muslim health and Muslim workforce issues cross DHSC, MHCLG, NHS England, regulators and wider government. We want a named ministerial sponsor with cross-departmental responsibility and sufficient support from No.10 to ensure delivery.
Second, establish clear DHSC ownership. There should be a named senior responsible owner, written follow-up from the roundtable and an ongoing workstream rather than requiring Muslim organisations to restart the conversation each time.
Third, create measurable NHS accountability. This should include Islamophobia, religion data, workforce safety, career progression, leadership, speaking up and regulatory fairness. Without clear expectations and measurement, there is a real risk that another valuable conversation becomes another talking shop.
Fourth, move from consultation to delivery. Muslim civil society should help shape and deliver solutions.
We bring solutions too
Time at the roundtable understandably focused on the problems. We did not have the opportunity to explore fully what BIMA and other Muslim organisations already deliver.
Our ACE Career Inductions programme provides profession and specialty-specific career workshops and support.[12] Our mentorship programme connects students and healthcare professionals with experienced colleagues for career and professional development.[13]
Our Islamophobia Awareness Training has been delivered across healthcare organisations and professional institutions.[14]
And our work extends beyond the workforce.
Through Lifesavers, Healthy Ramadan and other community health programmes we mobilise healthcare professionals through trusted Muslim institutions.[15,16] Our published faith-placed bowel cancer screening work has also demonstrated how culturally and religiously informed interventions can improve understanding and engagement with screening.[17]
These are examples of what we mean by faith innovation.
Muslim civil society should not simply be viewed as a constituency to consult after something has gone wrong. We are part of Britain’s civic infrastructure and can help design, test and deliver solutions to workforce and health inequality challenges.
Representation requires accountability from us too
There is an obvious implication for BIMA.
If we ask government to respect institutions that are accountable to Muslim communities, we must be willing to be held accountable ourselves.
We welcome criticism and debate about what we say, the priorities we pursue and how we engage government. Members should challenge us, contribute their experience and help determine our direction.
No organisation can claim every Muslim healthcare professional agrees with it. Our credibility must instead come from being rooted in our community, transparent about our work and open to scrutiny.
That also means continuing to broaden our membership across professions, career stages, geography and viewpoints.
If Muslim healthcare professionals want stronger and more representative institutions, they need to participate in building them.
So we encourage colleagues not simply to follow our advocacy, but to join BIMA, participate in our work, challenge us and help shape what comes next.[18]
Where possible, becoming a paid member also helps sustain the infrastructure behind our advocacy, research, member support, education and community work.
We will continue to report to members on our engagement with government, what we have raised, what commitments are made and whether those commitments are delivered.
A seat at the table matters. What happens after everyone leaves the room matters more.
References and further reading
[1] BIMA, BIMA Survey Reveals Impact of Summer Racist Riots on Muslim Healthcare Professionals in the UK.
https://britishima.org/bima-survey-reveals-impact-of-summer-racist-riots-on-muslim-healthcare-professionals-in-the-uk/
[2] Khanji MY et al. Well-being impact, freedom of expression, censorship and Islamophobia experienced by Muslim healthcare professionals during the current Gaza genocide. Medicine, Conflict and Survival.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13623699.2025.2561529
[3] BIMA, BIMA Meets Health Secretary Rt Hon Wes Streeting to Raise Community Concerns, September 2025.
https://britishima.org/bima-meets-health-secretary-rt-hon-wes-streeting-to-raise-community-concerns/
[4] BIMA, BIMA Writes to Government and NHS Leaders on Addressing Islamophobia and Inequality, October 2025.
https://britishima.org/bima-writes-to-government-and-nhs-leaders-on-addressing-islamophobia-and-inequality/
[5] BIMA, BIMA Urges Meaningful Action on Islamophobia, November 2025.
https://britishima.org/bima-urges-meaningful-action-on-islamophobia/
[6] BIMA, Islamophobia: Advocacy and Resources.
https://britishima.org/advocacy/islamophobia/
[7] BIMA, The Need for a Clear Definition of Islamophobia in the NHS, December 2025.
https://britishima.org/the-need-for-a-clear-definition-of-islamophobia-in-the-nhs/
[8] BIMA, BIMA Responds to Islamophobic Incident at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, December 2025.
https://britishima.org/bima-responds-to-islamophobic-incident-at-leeds-teaching-hospitals/
[9] BIMA, BIMA Statement: Meeting with the DHSC and Lord Mann, June 2026.
https://britishima.org/bima-statement-meeting-with-lord-mann/
[10] BIMA, The Mann Review: What Happens Next?, July 2026.
https://britishima.org/the-mann-review-what-happens-next/
[11] Khanji MY et al. Safeguarding healthcare workers from political lobby groups. Medicine, Conflict and Survival.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13623699.2026.2708615
[12] BIMA, ACE Career Inductions.
https://britishima.org/work/ace-career-inductions/
[13] BIMA, Mentorship Scheme 2026.
https://britishima.org/get-involved/mentorship-scheme-2026/
[14] BIMA, Islamophobia Awareness Training.
https://britishima.org/work/islamophobia-awareness/
[15] BIMA, Lifesavers.
https://britishima.org/work/lifesavers/
[16] BIMA, Ramadan.
https://britishima.org/work/ramadan/
[17] BIMA, New research on the BIMA intervention for bowel cancer screening in Muslim communities.
https://britishima.org/new-research-on-bima-intervention-for-bowel-cancer-screening-in-muslim-communities/
[18] BIMA, Join BIMA.
https://britishima.org/join-bima/