Starmer orders mandatory antisemitism training for all NHS staff

United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer has ordered a review of antisemitism in the National Health Service (NHS), stating that too many cases are “not being addressed at all.”

This review is being conducted as part of a broader effort to combat antisemitism in the United Kingdom. Under this initiative, all 1.5 million NHS employees will be required to undergo updated “anti-antisemitism and anti-racism” training.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health and Social Care announced that NHS England will review its guidance on staff uniforms to “protect freedom of religious expression while ensuring patients always feel respected.”

NHS England and other health organizations will also be asked to adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism.

During a visit to the Community Security Trust (CST), which provides protection for Jewish communities in the UK, Starmer also announced £10 million in support for the security of various facilities, including synagogues and Jewish schools.

“In the last few days and weeks, it has become clear that words are not enough; what matters are actions,” the Prime Minister said.

The NHS review, led by the government’s independent adviser on antisemitism, John Mann, is expected to focus on how health regulators combat antisemitism and other forms of racism.

Andrew Gilbert, vice president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcomed the review, stating that Jewish staff and patients have been “let down by the NHS while antisemitism has been allowed to spread and fester.”

Starmer also said some universities have been “too slow” to address cases of antisemitism.

He specifically cited Oxford University, noting that on Wednesday, the university suspended a student who was arrested on suspicion of inciting racial hatred.