Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators march with banners through Whitehall towards 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the UK Prime Minister, to protest against Israel's attacks on Gaza in London, United Kingdom on March 15, 2025. [Raşid Necati Aslım - Anadolu Agency]
Tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators march with banners through Whitehall towards 10 Downing Street, the official residence and office of the UK Prime Minister, to protest against Israel’s attacks on Gaza in London, United Kingdom on March 15, 2025. [Raşid Necati Aslım – Anadolu Agency]
Staff at several major National Health Service (NHS) hospitals in London have been prohibited from wearing pro-Palestinian symbols following complaints that they were “distressing and intimidating to vulnerable patients.”
Barts Health NHS Trust confirmed the policy after a pro-Israel lobby group reported increasing concerns from Jewish patients who felt uncomfortable seeing medical staff wearing badges and slogans in Palestinian colours. The ban applies across the trust’s five hospitals: St Bartholomew’s, Mile End, Newham, Royal London and Whipps Cross.
According to the Telegraph, the decision follows a case raised by UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), which highlighted the experience of a Jewish woman who underwent a caesarean birth at Whipps Cross Hospital in January. During her visit, she encountered three staff members wearing pro-Palestinian symbols, two displaying “Free Palestine” badges on their lanyards and another wearing a watermelon pin, a well-known symbol of Palestinian solidarity.
She described feeling vulnerable, particularly given the rise in anti-Semitic incidents, claiming that the display of such symbols added to her distress. “While waiting for surgery… I felt panicked as each person walked in that they too would be wearing a badge and that my care may be jeopardised or that someone who dislikes Jewish people or Israel would be responsible for the delivery of my child, which, even if not a risk to my health, feels wholly unpleasant.”
She said that she understands the strength of feeling from those deeply concerned about the conflict. “However, I do not see that it is reasonable to have political views on display in the workplace, particularly when dealing with patients at their most vulnerable and when the conflict and the symbolism surrounding it are so deeply complex,” she added. “I equally feel that an Israeli flag on a lanyard would be inappropriate.”
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One of the staff wearing a Palestinian flag was responsible for checking the eyesight of the woman’s baby when he was under one day old. “So, at a time when I should have been recuperating and receiving the highest quality support and care, I was instead feeling panicked about the interaction. If nothing else, it was a time – for one day – when I wanted to shut out the outside world and was instead faced with a reminder of the increasing threats against the safety of Jewish people, even if not perpetrated by these individuals.”
UKLFI has reported multiple incidents across Barts Health NHS Trust where Jewish patients felt distressed over staff displaying pro-Palestinian symbols, particularly following the 7 October 2023 Hamas cross-border incursion.
Another incident involved a Jewish man receiving dialysis at Whipps Cross Hospital in November, where a work experience student wore a football shirt displaying a map of Palestine. Meanwhile, an elderly Jewish patient at St Bartholomew’s Hospital was reportedly “deeply distressed” by a staff member wearing a Palestinian badge.
UKLFI warned that allowing staff to wear such symbols could violate the Equality Act 2010 and contribute to an environment of harassment for Jewish and Israeli patients. Following the complaints, Whipps Cross Hospital reviewed its dress code and banned staff from displaying political symbols.
Dr Amanjit Jhund, chief executive of Whipps Cross University Hospital, confirmed the new policy in a letter to UKLFI, stating: “The revised policy will be going live this week and will say: Our staff are expected not to be wearing or displaying political symbols, e.g. badges, lanyards or clothing with political slogans, ideology or national flags. The purpose of adopting a position of political neutrality is to foster an environment of inclusivity.”
A spokesperson for Barts Health NHS Trust confirmed that the uniform policy has been reissued to ensure that this is the case.
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