BIMA Conference 2026 Featured in Hyphen
Published: 20 March 2026 | Location: UK
BIMA’s upcoming Annual Conference 2026 has been featured in Hyphen highlighting the growing role of Muslim healthcare professionals in addressing key challenges across the UK health system.
Hundreds of healthcare professionals and students are set to gather in Glasgow this May for BIMA’s flagship conference. With the theme “Living Well: Restoring the Balance,” the conference will explore pressing issues including health inequalities, chronic disease, and access to care within marginalised communities. Discussions will also examine the role of social media in public health and the experiences of Muslim women within maternity services.
This feature reflects the increasing recognition of BIMA’s role in convening healthcare professionals, shaping conversations on equity, and contributing to solutions that support healthier communities.
Engagement with faith groups on public health is too limited, doctors warn
Published: 5 March 2026 | Location: UK
BIMA was featured in an article exploring how partnerships with faith communities can improve public health engagement and address health inequalities.
The piece highlighted BIMA’s role in a Ramadan campaign led by Glaucoma UK, in partnership with the Muslim Council of Britain. The initiative raises awareness about the importance of continuing glaucoma treatment during Ramadan.
Mahnoor Khan, Optometry Lead at BIMA, explained that many patients worry eye drops may invalidate their fast, and shared guidance on how medication can still be taken safely while observing Ramadan.
Flipping the script in medicine for hermeneutical justice
Published: 13 November 2025 | Location: UK
As part of wider national coverage on Islamophobia in healthcare, this article highlights BIMA’s growing role in documenting and challenging discrimination faced by Muslim healthcare professionals. It references BIMA’s own survey findings, which mirror the patterns described in earlier reports — including Islamophobia beginning during medical training, ongoing workplace bias, and a marked rise in fear and hostility after the 2024 riots.
The article also notes BIMA’s more recent concerns around censorship and professional risks faced by Muslim clinicians who speak out about Palestine during the Gaza war. By providing this data and raising these issues publicly, BIMA is helping to expose how structural Islamophobia affects both staff wellbeing and patient care, contributing to the national conversation on equity and safety within the NHS.
Why we need to keep pressing for faith-inclusive dress codes
Published: 9 September 2025 | Location: UK
BIMA was referenced for its joint advocacy with the BMA, which in 2020 helped secure NHS England’s Uniforms and Workwear guidance – a key step in ensuring that faith-based dress, such as hijabs and turbans, is respected while maintaining patient safety.
This article reinforces the need for trusts and medical schools to fully adopt national guidance, protecting students and doctors from discrimination and enabling them to thrive in their chosen specialties.
NHS workers shouldn’t be silenced for speaking out on Gaza genocide
The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) has been featured in The New Arab for its advocacy on Palestine and the pressures faced by NHS staff speaking out against the crisis in Gaza.
The article highlights findings from a recent BIMA survey, where 97% of respondents reported their wellbeing had been negatively affected by the ongoing conflict. These results reflect the heavy toll on healthcare workers who continue to advocate for justice and human rights while facing increasing professional and personal challenges.
Muslim medics sound alarm over cancellation of key NHS population survey
The government quietly admitted during a data conference in June that the 2025 Health Survey for England would be the last of its kind carried out by NHS England, which is facing huge cuts ahead of its eventual merge into the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC). The survey has run annually since 1991.
Dr Qasim Javed, a GP and chair of the British Islamic Medical Association (Bima), told Hyphen: “The level of population data provided by the survey is very useful for Bima. Without accurate data, we really can’t address health gaps. It means making policy blind, without true insights into the kind of health inequalities and health disparities that exist beyond the clinic room.”